Southern  Branch 
of  the 

University  of  California 

Los  Angeles 


Form  L  1 


HUDSON   EDITION 


THE 
LIFE   AOT}    LETTERS 


OF 


WASHINGTON  IRVING 


BY  HIS  NEPHEW 


PIERRE   M.  IRYESTG 


IN  THREE  VOLUMES 


VOLUME  II 


NEW  YORK 

G.   P.    PUTNAM'S    SONS 

27  AND  29  WEST  230  STREET 

67G36 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1869,  by 

PIBBBE  M.  IBVING, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  for  the 
Southern  District  of  New  York. 


TS 
o  e>  \ 


OF  VOLUME  II. 


CHAPTEE  I. 

PAGE 

At  Paris. — Out  of  Spirits  for  Literary  Occupation. — Thinks  of  Ger 
man  Subjects. — Falls  in  with  Payne,  the  American  Dramatist. — 
Embarks  with  him  in  Dramatic  Labors. — Busy  on  "  Richelieu." 
—Visits  Peter  at  Havre. — New  Lodgings  on  his  Return. — Payne 
goes  to  London  with  "  Richelieu,"  "  Married  and  Single,"  and  a 
Rough  Copy  of  "Azendai." — Letter  from  Payne. — Representa 
tion  of  "Charles  II." — Payne's  Opinion  of  it. — Copp's  Song  and 
Charles  Lamb. — Results  of  the  Joint  Theatrical  Speculations. — 
The  Fate  of  "  Richelieu."— Dedication  by  Payne 19 


CHAPTER  II. 

Revolving  Literary  Plans. — Extracts  from  Note  Book. — Talma. — 
Kenney's  Anecdotes. — Captain  Medwin. — Byron. — Pasta. — Cor 
rects  "Salmagundi"  for  Galignani. — Letter  to  Leslie. — Proposi 
tion  of  Galignani  tor  an  Edition  of  British  Authors. — Project  of 
a  second  "  Sketch  Book."— Letters  to  Murray  about  "  Tales  of  a 

Traveller" , 30 

7 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  III. 

PAGE 

Arrival  in  London.  —  Letter  to  Peter.  —  Interview  with  Murray.  — 
Attends  Representation  of  "Charles  II." — Leslie. — Newton. — 
Moore. — William  Spencer. — Rogers.  —  Lady  Caroline  Lamb. — 
The  Man  of  Many  Invitations. — Leaves  London  with  Mills  for 
Manor  House,  Lyndhurst. — Goes  to  Bath  to  meet  Moore. — El- 
wyn's  Dinner. — Extracts  from  Memorandum  Book. — Farewell  to 
Moore. — Letter  to  Peter. — Intent  on  Literary  Occupation. — Din 
ner  with  Rogers. — His  Good  Story  of  a  French  Abbe. — Falls 
short  in  Manuscript  for  ' '  Tales  of  a  Traveller. " — Supplies  the 
Deficiency. — Starts  for  France. — Letter  to  Moore  on  the  Way. 
— Moore's  Reply. — Kenney  and  Scroope  Davies 41 

CHAPTER   IV. 

Publication  of  the  "  Tales  of  a  Traveller."— Interruptions  of  Society. 
— His  Evil  Genius. — Downhearted. — Letter  to  Pierre  Paris  Irving. 
Letter  to  Leslie. — Letter  to  Brevoort. — Close  of  1824 56 


CHAPTER  V. 

Letter  to  Pierre  Paris  Irving. — Overtures  for  a  Life  of  Washington. — 
Unable  to  apply  Himself. — Paulding's  Rebuke. — Determines  to 
go  to  Work. — Leaves  Paris  with  Peter  for  Bordeaux, — The  Vin 
tage. —  "American  Essays."  —  An  Ill-boding  Failure.  —  Ex 
tracts  from  Diary.— Close  of  1825 67 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Letter  to  Alexander  H.  Everett.— A  Translation  of  Navarrete  sug 
gested  to  him  by  Mr.  Everett. — Letter  thereupon. — Arrival  at 
Madrid. — The  American  Consul,  O.  Rich. — Determines  upon  a 


CONTENTS.  9 

PAOH 

Regular  Life  of  Columbus. — Literary  Activity. — Diverted  from 
"  Columbus  "  to  "  Conquest  of  Granada." — Lieutenant  Alexander 
Slidell. — Close  of  1826.— Passages  from  Letter  to  P.  M.  Irving. — 
Letter  to  Brevoort. — Cooper. — Halleck .  — Bryant.  — Paulding. — 
Offers  "Columbus  "  to  Murray. — Longfellow. — Wilkie. — Close  of 
the  year  1827 74 

CHAPTER  VII. 

^  Publication  of  "  Columbus  "  by  Murray  in  London,  by  the  Carvills 
in  New  York. — Letter  to  Brevoort. — Departure  from  Madrid  on 
a  Tour  through  the  Southern  parts  of  Spain.  Letter  to  Made 
moiselle  Bolviller. — Description  of  the  Journey  from  Cordova  to 
Granada. — The  Alhambra.— A  despatch  from  the  Court  of  Lions. 
— Quest  for  the  Portal  by  which  Boabdil  sallied  forth. — The  Poor 
.__  _  Devil  Guide. — The  Alpujarras. — From  Malaga  to  Seville. — Going 
to  Work  on  the  "  Conquest  of  Granada." 92 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

\  Extracts  from  Diary. — Wilkie  and  the  painting  of  "St.  Thomas." — 
Letter  to  Alexander  H.  Everett. — Letter  to  Prince  Dolgorouki. 
— Character  of  the  Andalusians. — Letter  to  Mademoiselle  Bolvil 
ler. — Bull-fights,  his  Notion  of. — San  Juan  de  Alfarache. — Relics 
of  Moorish  Labor  and  Moorish  Taste 106 

CHAPTER  IX. 

y  Removes  to  a  Cottage  in  the  Vicinity  of  Seville. — Letter  to  Alexander 
H.  Everett. — Letter  to  Mademoiselle  Bolviller. — The  Cathedral 
of  Seville. — Letter  to  Prince  Dolgorouki. — Wilkie. — Letter  to 
Peter  Irving.  —  "Conquest  of  Granada."  —  Arrangement  with 
Carey. — Journey  to  Palos.  — Letter  to  Alexander  H.  Everett,  in 


10  CONTENTS. 

MM 

Reply  to  one  announcing  the  King's  Permission  to  him  to  in 
spect  the  Archives  of  the  Indias,  and  giving  him  an  extract  from 
his  Critique  on  "  Columbus  " 116 

CHAPTEE   X. 

Change  of  Quarters  to  Port  St.  Mary. — Extracts  from  Letter  to  Peter. 
— Literary  Plans. — Longing  to  Return  to  America. — Extracts 
from  Diary. — Removal  from  the  Cerillo  to  the  Caracol.— Mur 
ray's  offer  to  him  to  conduct  a  Magazine,  and  to  write  for  the 
"  Quarterly." — Repugnance  to  the  Proposal. — Letter  to  Alexan 
der  H.  Everett,  noticing  Murray's  offer. — "Conquest  of  Gra 
nada." —  Sale  of  American  Copyright. — Return  to  Seville. — 
Abridgment  of  "  Columbus  " — Given  gratuitously  to  Murray. — 
Bargain  with  the  Carvills  for  "  Columbus"  and  Abridgment. — 
Death  of  Hall. — Anecdote  of  Invocation. — Bargain  with  Murray 
for  "  Conquest  of  Granada."— Close  of  1838 128 

CHAPTER  XI. 

X  Still  at  Seville. — Literary  Plans  and  Pursuits.— Letter  to  Peter. — 
Letter  to  Prince  Dolgorouki. — Receives  Diploma  of  the  Royal 
Academy  of  History. — Letter  to  Alexander  H.  Everett. — The 
Presidential  Election. — His  Impressions  of  Andrew  Jackson. — 
Reason  for  adopting  a  nom  de  guerre  for  the  "Conquest  of  Gra 
nada.'  ' —  Letters  to  Peter.  —  Publication  of  "  Chronicles  of  Gra 
nada." — Letter  to  Alexander  H.  Everett. — About  to  leave  Se 
ville  for  Granada 159 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Tb*  Governor's  Quarters. — An  Unexpected  Visitor.  —  Passages  of 
^tetters. — The  "  Conquest  of  Granada"  published  in  London.—. 


CONTENTS.  11 

PASS 

Finishes  the  "Legends  of  the  Conquest  of  Spain" — Letters  to 
Peter  on  the  Subject. — Letter  to  Dolgorouki. — Duke  de  Gor. — 
Hears  of  his  Appointment  as  Secretary  of  Legation  to  London. — 
Letter  thereupon  to  Mr.  Wetherell  at  Seville. — Indifference  to 
Official  Honor. — Letter  to  Louis  McLane. — To  Mr.  Everett. — 
His  Plan  of  Return  Broken  up. — Letter  to  Peter. — Reply  to  the 
Objection  that  the  Appointment  was  below  his  Talents  and  Posi 
tion...  .  150 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Departure  from  Granada. — Last  Look  of  the  Alhambra. — Journey  in 
a  Tartana. — Unexpected  Civility  of  the  Duke  de  Gor. — Robber 
Mementoes. — Spanish  Travelling. — Mournful  Fate  of  his  Travel 
ling  Companion. — First  Impressions  of  Diplomatic  Life  at  Lon 
don. — Bargain  in  America  for  Moore's  "  Life  of  Byron."  —  Two 
Letters  from  Moore  on  the  Subject. — Newton. — William  E.  West. 
— Determines  to  eschew  Literary  Drudgery,  and  give  Diplomatic 
Life  a  Trial. — Resolves  upon  a  Life  of  Washington 170 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Letter  to  Gouverneur  Kemble. — Award  of  a  Gold  Medal  by  the  Royal 
Society  of  Literature. — The  Oxford  Honor.— Sketch  of  William 
IV.  —  Letter  to  Peter  Irving.  — Article  in  the  "London  Quar 
terly."— Letter  to  Louis  McLane  from  Paris  after  the  Elevation 
of  Louis  Philippe. — Extract  from  a  Letter  to  the  Same. — Talley 
rand. — Literary  Concerns. — Brevoort. — Dolgorouki — Peter  Pow 
ell. — John  Randolph.  —  The  "Voyages  of  the  Companions  of 
Columbus"  in  the  Press. — Newton. — Leslie. — Kenney. — Payne. 
— Receives  Notes  from  Murray  for  the  "  Voyages." 181 


12  CONTENTS. 

• 

CHAPTEE  XV. 

PAQB 

Paulding. — "Slidell's  Year  in  Spain,"  and  the  Review  in  the  "Lon 
don  Quarterly."— Bargain  with  Carey  &  Lea  for  the  "Voyages 
of  Columbus." — Letter  to  Brevoort.— A  Change  in  the  Embassy. 
— The  Author  Charge. — Letter  to  Louis  McLane. — Arrival  of 
Mr.  Van  Buren,  the  new  Minister. — Letter  to  Louis  McLane. — 
Believed  from  the  Legation. — Last  Meeting  with  Sir  Walter 
Scott. — Newton's  Second  Likeness. — Letter  to  Mrs.  Paris. — Barl- 
borough  Hall. —Hard  wicke  Castle. — Newstead  Abbey. — Derange 
ment  of  Literary  Plans.— Reform  and  Cholera 197 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Letter  from  Newstead  Abbey. — Journeyings  with  Mr.  Van  Buren. — 
Arrangements  for  the  Publication  of  the  "  Alhambra." — Letter 
from  William  C.  Bryant,  transmitting  Volume  of  his  Poems  for 
English  Publication. — Letter  from  Chilian  C.  Verplanck  — Dedi 
catory  Epistle  to  Samuel  Rogers. — Rejection  of  Mr.  Van  Buren 
as  Minister. — Letter  to  Peter  Irving. — Mills. — Matthews, — Les 
lie. — Peter  Powell. — Bargain  with  Colburn  and  Bentley  for  the 
"  Alhambra." — Embarkation. — Lands  at  New  York.— Reception. 
— Public  Dinner.— Speech 307 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Peter  Irving  in  Paris. — An  Autobiographical  Sketch  of  himself. — 
Publication  of  the  "Alhambra."— Its  Reception.— Excursion  to 
Washington.  —The  Old  General.  —  Henry  Clay.  —  Meeting  with 
Cooper,  the  Tragedian.— Visit  to  the  Haunts  of  Rip  Van  Win 
kle.— Tour  to  the  White  Mountains.— At  Tarrytown.— The  Bra- 
min.— Saratoga  Springs.— Trenton  Falls 230 


CONTENTS.  13 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 


Change  of  Travelling  Plans  —  Letters  to  Mrs.  Paris.  —  Tour  through 
Ohio.  —  Voyage  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  —  Black  Hawk.  —  The 
Prairies  of  the  Missouri.  —  A  Launch  into  Savage  Life.  —  Letter 
to  Peter.  —  New  Orleans.  —  William  C.  Preston.  —Sojourn  at  Wash 
ington.  —  Letter  to  James  K.  Paulding.  —  Letters  to  Gouverneur 
Kemble  from  Washington.  —  Return  to  New  York.  —  Again  at 
Baltimore.  —  Letter  thence  to  Peter  Irving.  —  Herman  Knicker 
bocker.  —  Visit  to  old  Dutch  Villages  in  the  Neighborhood  of  the 
Catskill  Mountains.  —  A  Knickerbocker  Excursion  with  Mr.  Vi 
Buren.  —  Abridgment  of  "  Columbus  "  recommended  as  a  Cl  ass- 
Book  for  the  Common  Schools  .  .  .  244 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

The  Author's  First  Notion  of  "Astoria." — A  Nomination  to  Con 
gress  offered  and  declined.  —  His_Dista§te._fQr_  Politics.  —  The 
"  Crayon  Miscellanies." — Publication  and  Reception  of  the  "  Tour 
on  the  Prairies." — American  and  English  Preface. — Farms  out 
his  Prior  Works  to  Carey,  Lea  &  Co.  for  a  Term  of  Seven  Years. 
— No.  II.  of  the  "Crayon  Miscellany." — "Abbotsford"  and 
"Newstead." — Sunnyside  in  Embryo. — No.  III.  of  the  "Crayon 
Miscellany." — The  "Legends  of  the  Conquest  of  Spain." — Its 
publication. — The  Workmen  busy  upon  his  Cottage 265 


CHAPTER  XX. 

John  Jacob  Astor. — Investments  in  Land. — Return  of  Peter. — Com 
pletion  of  the  Cottage. — Commences  Housekeeping. — Publica 
tion  of  "Astoria." — Peter  an  Inmate  of  the  Cottage. — Letter 
from  "  The  Roost."— The  New  Pig 284 


14  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

MM 

Newspaper  Attacks  on  Mr.  Irving. — Joseph  Seawell  Jones. — William 

Leggett. — The  Booksellers'  Festival.  —  Halleck  and  Rogers. — 
Letter  to  Ebenezer  Irving. — Publication  of  the  "  Adventures  of 
Captain  Bonneville." — Louis  Napoleon  at  "The  Roost." — Peter 
no  longer  an  Inmate. — Letter  to  Edward  Everett. — Letters  to 
Gouverneur  Kemble. — Death  of  John.  —  The  Tammany  People 
propose  to  run  him  for  Mayor. — Declines. — President  Van  Bu- 
ren  offers  him  the  Secretaryship  of  the  Navy. — Declines 293 

CHAPTER   XXII. 

Death  of  Peter. — Gossipings  about  the  Cottage. — His  Investments  in 
Land  unproductive  of  Revenue. — Engages  upon  the  Conquest  of 
Mexico. — Surrenders  the  Theme  to  Prescott. — Correspondence  on 
the  Subject. — Receipt  of  Prescott's  "History  of  the  Conquest 
of  Mexico." — Letter  thereupon 81Sl 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Engages  to  contribute  monthly  to  the  "  Knickerbocker  Magazine." — 
His  position  respecting  an  International  Copyright  Law,  in  a 
Letter  to  the  Editor. — Prescott's  View. — Old  and  New  Tarry- 
town. — Picture  of  his  Neighborhood. — Biographical  Sketch  of 
Goldsmith  for  Harper's  "Family  Library."— Ebenczer  Irving. — 
Biography  of  Margaret  Davidson. — Anecdote  of  Clark  and  Geof 
frey  Crayon  834 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Letter  from  Dickens. — Albert  Gallatin.— Visits  in  the  Highlands. — 
The  "Life  of  Washington "  begun. — The  Dickens  Dinner. — Let 
ter  from  Boz.— Embarkation  and  Farewell .  • . .  .  345 


CONTENTS.  15 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

PASB 

Mr.  Irving  in  London. — Levee. — Reception  at  Court. — Meeting  of 
old  Acquaintances. — Rogers. — Leslie. — James  Bandinel.  —  Mo 
nastic  Seclusion  in  Westminster  Abbey. — Anniversary  Dinner  of 
the  Literary  Fund. — The  Queen's  Grand  Fancy  Ball. — At  Paris. 
— Letter  to  Mrs.  Paris. — Presentment  to  Louis  Philippe  and 
other  Members  of  the  Royal  Family  at  Neuilly 359 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

J\  Arrival  at  Madrid. — His  New  Home. — Duke  de  Gor. — Audience  of 
the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. — Interview  with  the  Regent. — 
Audience  of  the  Queen. — The  Routine  of  a  Day 870 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Y^  Letter  to  Mrs.  Paris. — Sketch  of  Spanish  Politics  and  Spanish  Char 
acters. — The  Insurrection  in  October,  1841. — Attempt  to  get  Pos 
session  of  the  Person  of  the  Queen. — The  Royal  Palace. — Its  Situ 
ation. — Details  of  his  First  Audience  with  the  Queen. — His  Sym 
pathy  in  her  Position — Diplomatic  Themes. —  Curiosity  about 
the  Delivery  01'  his  Credentials.— Louis  Philippe  879 


LIFE   AND    LETTERS 


WASHINGTON  IRVING. 


CHAPTEB  L 

AT  PARIS.— OUT  OP  SPIRITS  FOR  LITERARY  OCCUPATION. — THINKS  OF  GERMAN 
SUBJECTS. — FALLS  IN  WITH  PAYNE,  THE  AMERICAN  DRAMATIST. — EMBARKS 
WITH  HIM  IN  DRAMATIC  LABORS. — BUSY  ON  "RICHELIEU." — VISITS  PETER 
AT  HAVRE. — NEW  LODGINGS  ON  HIS  RETURN. — PAYNE  GOES  TO  LONDON  WITH 
"RICHELIEU,"  "MARRIED  AND  SINGLE,  "AND  A  ROUGH  COPY  OF"AZENDAI." 
—LETTER  FROM  PAYNE.— REPRESENTATION  OF  CHARLES  II.— PAYNE'S  OPIN 
ION  OF  IT. — COPP'S  SONG  AND  CHARLES  LAMB. — RESULTS  OF  THE  JOINT 
THEATRICAL  SPECULATIONS.— THE  FATE  OF  "  RICHELIEU.  "—DEDICATION  BY 

PAYNE. 

R.  IRVING  had  been  so  long  idle  with  his  pen 
that  on  his  arrival  at  Paris  he  began  to  feel 
strongly  the  necessity  of  exertion.  "When  I 
once  get  going  again  with  my  pen,"  he  writes  to  Peter, 
''  I  mean  to  keep  on  steadily,  until  I  can  scrape  together 
enough  from  all  my  literary  property  to  produce  a  reg 
ular  income,  however  moderate.  We  shall  then  be  in 
dependent  of  the  world  and  its  chances."  The  getting 

19 


20  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

under  way,  however,  was  the  great  difficulty.  The  most 
likely  thing  for  him  to  prepare  speedily  for  the  press  was 
his  unfinished  story  of  "  Buckthorne  and  his  Friends," 
which,  as  we  have  seen,  he  had  laid  aside  at  the  sugges 
tion  of  Leslie,  as  the  groundwork  of  a  novel ;  but  it  had 
remained  untouched,  and  he  had  never  been  able  to  re 
sume  it. 

On  the  4th  of  September,  recurring  to  some  hints  of 
Peter  about  Germany,  he  writes : — 

I  have  been  thinking  over  the  German  subjects.  It  will  take  me  a 
little  time  to  get  hold  of  them  properly,  as  I  must  read  a  little  and  digest 
the  plan  and  nature  of  them  in  my  mind.  There  are  such  quantities  of 
these  legendary  and  romantic  tales  now  littering  from  the  press  both  in 
England  and  Germany,  that  one  must  take  care  not  to  fall  into  the  com 
monplace  of  the  day.  Scott's  manner  must  likewise  be  widely  avoided. 
In  short,  I  must  strike  out  some  way  of  my  own,  suited  to  my  own  way  of 
thinking  and  writing.  I  wish,  in  everything  I  do,  to  write  in  such  a  man 
ner  that  my  productions  may  have  something  more  than  the  mere  interest 
of  narrative  to  recommend  them,  which  is  very  evanescent  ;  something, 
if  I  dare  to  use  the  phrase,  of  classic  merit,  i.  e.  depending  upon  style, 
etc.,  which  gives  a  production  some  chance  for  duration  beyond  the  mere 
whim  and  fashion  of  the  day.  I  have  my  mind  tolerably  well  supplied 
with  German  localities,  manners,  characters,  etc.,  and  when  I  once  get  to 
work,  I  trust  I  shall  be  able  to  spin  them  out  very  fluently.  I  have  some 
ideas  and  subjects  that  I  think  will  take  if  properly  executed.  At  present 
I  am  busy  on  a  slight  literary  job  which  I  hope  will  put  some  money  in 
my  pocket  without  costing  much  time  or  trouble,  or  committing  my 
name.  When  that  is  done,  and  the  inventing  fit  comes  over  me  again, 
I  will  strike  at  something  else. 

The  slight  literary  job  here  alluded  to  was  an  altera- 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  21 

tion  of  "La  Jeunesse  de  Bichelieu,"  a  French  play  by 
M.  Duval,  which  had  been  acted  in  Paris  about  thirty 
years  before.  It  was  one  that  Payne  had  already  done  in 
the  rough,  and  he  was  now  engaged  in  retouching  and 
heightening  a  very  ill-chosen  plot,  which  he  hoped,  if 
thoroughly  cast,  to  make  effective  in  representation.  He 
had  been  tempted  at  this  time,  while  he  could  not  get 
going  in  any  leading  occupation  of  the  pen,  which  he 
could  hope  to  make  available  for  the  London  market,  to 
accept  the  proposition  of  Payne  to  assist  him  in  his  pur 
suits  and  divide  the  profits  of  their  joint  dramatic  manu 
facture,  with  the  understanding  that  his  agency  was  to  be 
kept  secret.  Payne  at  this  time  had  fitted  up  a  cottage 
at  Versailles  in  handsome  style  which  he  did  not  occupy, 
but  was  living,  as  Mr.  Irving  found  him  on  the  13th  of 
August,  "in  a  sky  parlor  at  the  Palais  Royal,"  where 
he  employed  himself  in  remodelling  pieces  from  the 
French  stage,  and  adapting  them  to  English  representa 
tion. 

Soon  after  this  dramatic  agreement,  Mr.  Irving  made  a 
visit  to  his  brother  Peter,  upon  which  he  had  long  set 
his  heart.  During  this  absence,  Payne  rented  some  apart 
ments  in  Paris,  and  having  transferred  to  them  his  fur 
niture  from  Versailles,  re-let  them  to  Mr.  Irving  on  his 
return,  reserving  a  small  room  for  himself.  In  a  letter  to 
Peter,  dated  the  day  of  his  return,  October  3,  Mr.  Irving 
thus  speaks  of  lodgings  he  was  to  occupy  for  an  almost 
unbroken  period  of  more  than  a  year : — 


22  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

I  am  just  about  moving  to  my  new  quarters,  No.  89  Rue  Richelieu. 
I  am  greatly  pleased  with  them.  It  is  in  one  of  the  best  private  hotels  in 
Paris  ;  everything  about  the  establishment  is  particularly  genteel  and 
well-regulated.  My  apartments  consist  of  bed-room,  sitting-room,  and 
dining-room,  with  use  of  kitchen  and  appurtenances  and  a  cellar.  Payne 
has  furnished  them  very  handsomely.  They  have  a  warm  southern  ex 
posure,  and  look  into  a  very  spacious  and  handsome  court,  and  being 
newly  finished  and  fitted  up  are  very  complete.  You  would  be  quite 
charmed  with  them.  I  shall  have  a  bed  for  you  whenever  you  choose  to 
pay  Paris  a  visit.  I  shall  live  very  much  at  home,  having  an  excellent 
femme  de  menage  to  cook,  etc.,  etc.  The  hotel  is  near  the  Rue  Feydeau, 
between  the  old  opera  house  and  the  Boulevards,  one  of  the  most  central 
spots  in  Paris.  As  my  room  is  pretty  high  up  and  separated  by  the  court 
from  the  street,  I  am  not  incommoded  by  noise,  and  have  plenty  of  day 
light  and  sunshine. 

A  more  important  advantage  is  specified  in  a  later 
description  of  his  bachelor  "nest"  to  his  sister,  Mrs. 
Paris :  "  The  great  national  library,  one  of  the  very  best 
in  the  world,  is  within  five  minutes'  walk  of  my  lodgings, 
and  I  have  the  privilege  of  having  any  books  from  it  I 
please." 

Soon  after  his  occupation  of  his  new  lodgings  he  sends 
Peter  this  picture  of  himself  and  Payne  at  their  joint 
labor. 

Payne  is  Jpusy  upon  "Azendai,"  making  a  literal  translation.  I  am 
looking  over  it  as  he  translates,  and  making  notes  where  there  must  be 
alterations,  songs,  choruses,  etc.  It  will  have  to  be  quite  re-written,  as 
the  dialogue  is  flimsy  and  pointless  ;  still  the  construction  will  answer, 
and  that  is  the  main  point. 

Ten  days  later  he  writes   to  Peter:  "Payne  sets  off 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  23 

'privately  for  London  on  Wednesday,  to  treat  with  Kemble 
about  'Richelieu'  and  'Belles  and  Bailiffs;'"  another 
adaptation  from  the  French,  in  which,  under  the  title  of 
"  Married  and  Single,"  he  had  altered  some  scenes.  He 
adds  :  "  I  shall  send  with  him  the  rough  copy  of  '  Azen- 
dai,'  that  it  may  be  shown  to  Bishop,  and  the  proper 
directions  procured  for  the  music." 

It  was  to  avoid  arrest  for  his  theatrical  entanglements 
in  London  that  Payne  left  "  privately."  The  author  of 
"  Home,  sweet  Home  "  had  made  handsomely  by  the  suc 
cess  of  some  of  his  pieces,  yet  it  was  seldom  that  he  was 
long  free  from  pecuniary  perplexity.  He  speaks  with 
bitter  jocularity  in  one  of  his  letters,  of  the  hard  tug  he 
had  had  with  life  since  he  grew  too  portly  for  the  stage 
and  began  "  to  fatten  on  trouble  and  starvation."  His 
first  letter  does  not  disclose  a  very  auspicious  beginning 
to  the  dramatic  speculation. 

LONDON,  November  7, 1823. 

MY  DEAR  IRVING  :— 

I  was  detained  at  Dieppe  ten  days  waiting  for  a  boat.  At  last  I  got 
out  in  the  storm  which  made  so  many  wrecks,  and  was  in  a  gale  all  Mon 
day  night  and  part  of  Tuesday,  sixteen  hours  and  a  half.  The  same  night 
I  went  to  the  play  at  Brighton,  and  had  the  happiness  of  finding  I  had 
just  missed  "  Clari"  which  had  had  a  very  considerable  run  some  nights 
before.  I  got  here  on  Wednesday,  day  before  last,  too  late  to  do  any 
thing,  and  having  rode  all  the  way  outside  in  a  terrible  rain,  was  stiff,  and 
stupid,  and  tired.  However,  I  packed  off  my  things  ["  Richelieu,"  and 
"  Married  and  Single  "]  instantly  to  Charles  Kemble.  Yesterday  I  deliv 
ered  all  your  letters,  inquired  for  your  music,  got  my  passport  signed  by 
Smith,  dined  with  Leslie  and  Newton,  got  a  lodging  under  the  name  of 


24  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

Hayward  (which  I  am  every  minute  forgetting),  and,  heartily  weary, 
found  my  bed  was  over  a  livery  stable,  where  the  hackney  coaches  entered 
every  hour,  and  in  which  every  horse  had  a  violent  cough.  I  feel  as  if  I 
had  not  slept  for  a  month. 

Now  for  business.  I  saw  Charles  to-day  and  was  very  well  received  by 
the  Committee,*  but  when  I  asked  what  they  had  to  say  about  my  pieces, 
they  had  not  seen  them  !  I  caused  a  hunt,  and  at  last  the  parcel  was 
found  unopened.  So  much  for  the  necessity  of  having  come  over.  Charles 
took  them  home.  My  description  of  "  Azendai,"  and  my  disclosure  of 
your  confidential  communication,  seemed  to  excite  him.  He  asked  me  to 
his  box  to-night  and  to  dinner  either  to-day  or  to-morrow  ;  but  there  will 
be  no  chance  of  specific  arrangements  till  after  Monday,  I  fear.  I  shall 
hand  him  "  Azendai "  to-night.  If  I  had  the  "  Roulier"  I  could  make  a 
market  of  it.  Pray  send  it  to  me  immediately.  I  mean  the  printed  copy. 
Nothing  answers  now  but  the  horses.  I  could  not  speak  of  terms  at  a 
first  interview.  No  news  of  your  music  at  BirehelPs,  and  they  have  no 
room  for  "  Abul  Hassan  "  f  this  season,  unless,  as  some  one  observed, 
horses  could  be  put  in  it ! 

I  think  I  shall  dine  with  Miller  to-day  and  Charles  to-morrow.  I  am 
to  go  to  a  private  box  this  evening  to  see  the  Horses.  If  you  can  think 
of  any  opportunity  for  a  grand  equestrian  spectacle,  it  might  do.  I  am 
almost  afraid  they  will  insist  on  bringing  Richelieu  in  on  horseback. 
Charles  says  he  thinks  you  ought  to  produce  better  comic  pieces  than  any 
one  he  knows,  judging  from  the  story  of  the  "Unknown  Gentleman," 
whose  other  half  only  is  seen. 

.  .  .  Newton  and  Leslie  are  very  anxious  to  see  you.  They  talk 
of  you  with  a  sort  of  affectionate  idolatry I  have  just  re 
ceived  my  passport  to  return,  from  the  French  ambassador,  so  "all's 
right."  You  will  hear  from  me  again  on  Monday. 

About  eighteen  days  after  the  date  of  this  letter,  Mr. 

*  The  Committee  of  Manasement. 

t  A  German  opera  which  Mr.  Irving  had  translated  at  Dresden. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  25 

Irving  transmitted  to  Payne  the  manuscript  of  "  Charles 
II.,  or  the  Merry  Monarch,"  a  piece  in  three  acts  altered 
from  "  La  Jeunesse  de  Henry  V.,"  and  of  which  he  speaks 
to  Peter  as  being  rather  of  a  light  kind  and  dependent  on 
good  genteel  acting.  Payne  writes  on  its  receipt:  "I 
consider  it  one  of  the  best  pieces  of  the  kind  I  ever  read ; 
there  is  a  never  diminishing  vein  of  wit  running  through 
it,  which,  coming  in  aid  of  situations  eminently  dramatic, 
gives  it  a  claim  to  rank  with  the  best  works  in  the  lan 
guage." 

January  %lth. — Payne  writes  to  Mr.  Irving  that  he  had 
at  length  finished  "the  long  pending  negotiation  respect 
ing  this  piece  and  '  Richelieu,'  and  sold  them  to  Covent 
Garden  for  two  hundred  guineas  down,"  which  he  con 
sidered  "  a  good  sum,"  and  he  adds,  "  the  copy-rights  may 
double  it." 

As  Mr.  Irving's  letters  to  Payne  are  missing,  I  cannot 
say  how  far  he  was  satisfied  with  this  result  of  his  the 
atrical  speculations,  but  perhaps  it  may  not  be  without 
interest  to  trace  the  further  fortunes  of  the  pieces  thus 
bargained  for,  which  went  to  their  ordeal  at  different 
dates. 

"  Charles  II."  was  produced  May  27th,  1824,  and  met 
with  the  most  decided  success.  "  The  piece  will  grow 
upon  the  public  on  representation,"  writes  Payne  to  Mr. 
Irving,  "  and  I  am  convinced  become  a  stock  piece.  The 
points  all  told  amazingly.  My  notion  about  Copp's  always 
trying  a  song,  and  never  being  able  to  get  it  out,  was  very 


26  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

effective  in  representation."*  The  conception  and  exe 
cution  of  this  song,  which  Payne  jestingly  speaks  of  as 
my  notion,  were  his  coadjutor's,  done,  as  he  once  told  me, 
to  hit  the  English  taste  for  broad  fun.  Some  time  later, 
after  a  series  of  successful  representations,  Payne  writes 
in  regard  to  this  song  :  "  Charles  Lamb  tells  me  he  can't 
get  Copp's  song  out  of  his  head,  and  is  very  anxious  for  the 
rest  of  it.  He  says  the  hiatus  keeps  him  awake  o'  nights." 

Payne  disposed  of  the  copy-right  for  fifty  guineas,  after 
Mr.  Irving  had  assisted  him  in  pruning  the  piece,  and 
reducing  it  to  two  acts.  As  the  latter  had  stipulated  for 
the  concealment  of  his  name,  the  only  allusion  Payne 
could  permit  himself  in  the  preface  was  an  intimation 
that  the  manuscript  had  been  revised  by  a  literary  friend, 
to  whom  he  was  "  indebted  for  invaluable  touches." 

"  Richelieu "  was  not  brought  out  until  February, 
1826 ;  its  appearance  having  been  delayed  under  various 
pretexts.  First  nothing  could  be  done  until  after  the 
Christmas  holidays ;  then  there  arose  a  difficulty  about 
the  cast,  Charles  Kemble  inclining  to  one  character,  and 
Payne  insisting  it  would  be  the  ruin  of  the  piece  if  he 

*  The  following  brief  extract  from  the  play  presents  the  racy  old  Cap 
tain  in  his  first  abortive  effort  at  being  delivered  of  "  the  only  song"  he 
"  ever  knew :" 

"  In  the  time  of  the  Rump, 

As  old  Admiral  Trump 

With  his  broom  swept  the  chops  of  the  Channel ; 
And  his  crew  of  Big  Breeches, 
Those  Dutch  sons  of 

Mary — [Putting  her  hand  on  his  mouth],  O,  Uncle,  Uncle,  don't  ring 
that  horrible  rough  song." 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  27 

did  not  take  another;  then  he  wished  that  part,  which 
was  Richelieu,  to  be  written  up,  and  Dubois,  Richelieu's 
secretary,  who  was  too  prominent,  to  be  written  down ; 
and  so,  from  one  cause  or  another,  it  was  not  produced 
until  the  commencement  of  the  year  1826,  when  Mr.  Ir 
ving  was  at  Madrid.  The  note  of  preparation  began  to 
be  sounded  in  December,  1825.  It  was  read  in  the  green 
room  by  Charles  Kemble  about  the  middle  of  this  month, 
and  one  of  the  persons  who  was  to  act  in  it  wrote  Mr. 
Payne  that  all  present  were  deeply  affected,  and  that  it 
was  considered  as  one  of  the  best  plays  which  had  been 
heard  for  some  years.  It  was  played  a  few  nights  and 
then  withdrawn,  exception  being  taken  to  the  plot.  "  I 
went  to  see  it  last  night,"  writes  a  literary  friend  to  Mr. 
Irving.  "  It  is  very  well  got  up ;  the  dresses  are  beau 
tiful,  and  the  effect  is  more  that  produced  by  a  piece  at 
the  Fran^ais,  than  anything  I  have  seen.  The  dialogue  is 
particularly  well  done,  and  the  laughter  all  in  the  dress 
circle.  It  is  thought  highly  of,  and  only  wants  a  little 
correction  to  be  the  best  thing  we  have  seen  of  the  age." 
It  was  put  to  press  in  New  York,  by  a  Mr.  Murden,  a 
publisher  of  plays,  at  the  close  of  1826,  with  the  follow 
ing  dedication  by  Payne  : — 

TO  WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

MY  DEAK  IRVING  : — 

It  is  about  twenty  years  since  I  first  had  the  pleasure  of  knowing  you  ; 
and  it  is  not  very  often  that  people  are  found  better  friends  at  the  later 


28  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

part  of  so  long  an  acquaintance  than  at  the  beginning.  Such,  however, 
has  been  the  case  with  us  ;  and  the  admiration  which  I  felt  for  you  when 
I  was  a  boy,  has  been  succeeded  by  gratitude  for  steady  and  intrepid 
kindness  now  that  I  am  no  longer  one. 

Although  I  have  had  better  opportunities  to  know  you  than  the  world, 
by  whom  you  are  valued  so  highly,  I  should  not  have  ventured  to  make  a 
public  display  of  our  acquaintanceship  under  any  other  circumstances 
than  those  by  which  it  is  drawn  forth  at  present.  I  am  under  obligation? 
to  you  beyond  the  common  kindnesses  between  friends  of  long  standing, 
which  it  is  fitting  I  should  acknowledge.  In  the  little  comedy  of  "  Charles 
the  Second,"  I  have  referred  to  the  assistance  you  gave  me,  without  ven 
turing  to  violate  your  injunction  with  regard  to  the  concealment  of  youi 
name.  But  that  aid  has  been  repeated  to  such  an  extent  in  the  present 
work,  as  to  render  it  imperative  upon  me  to  offer  you  my  thanks  pub 
licly,  and  to  beg  you  will  suffer  me  to  dedicate  it  to  one  from  whose  pen 
it  has  received  its  highest  value.  I  only  regret  it  is  not  in  my  power  to 
make  a  more  adequate  return  for  the  many  encouragements  amid  dis 
comfort,  which  you  have  so  frequently  and  so  spontaneously  bestowed 

upon, 

My  dear  Irving, 

Your  sincere  and  grateful  friend, 

JOHN  HOWARD  PAYNE. 
PARIS,  No.  89  RUB  DE  RICHELIEU, 
February  13,  1826. 

March  15,  1827,  we  have  this  final  allusion  to  "  Biche- 
lieu,"  in  a  letter  of  Ebenezer  to  his  brother  Washington : 
"I  have  not  been  able  to  make  anything  out  of  your 
friend  Payne's  drama  of  'Kichelieu.'  The  publisher 
tried  hard  to  get  it  performed  at  one  of  our  theatres,  but 
could  not  succeed ;  the  managers  were  afraid  to  attempt 
it,  alleging  that  it  was  deficient  in  incident,  particularly 
in  the  latter  scenes.  The  publisher  had  one  thousand 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  29 

copies  printed  at  his  own  expense,  seven  hundred  of 
which  are  in  my  hands.  The  other  three  hundred  he 
has  to  repay  him  his  expenses." 

This  is  the  last  trace  I  get  of  "  Richelieu."  Whatever 
its  merit  as  a  composition,  the  plot  was  objectionable, 
and  the  play  much  better  suited  to  the  closet  than  the 
stage. 


CHAPTER  H 

REVOLVING  LITEBABY  PLANS.— EXTRACTS  FROM  NOTE-BOOK.— TALMA.— KKTf. 
NET'S  ANECDOTES.— CAPTAIN  MEDWIN.— BTRON.—  PASTA.— CORRECTS  "  SAL. 
MAGUNDI  "  FOR  GALIGNANI.— LETTER  TO  LESLIE.— PROPOSITION  OF  GALIG- 
NANI  FOR  AN  EDITION  OF  BRITISH  AUTHORS.— PROJECT  OF  A  SECOND 
"SKETCH  BOOK."— LETTERS  TO  MURRAY  ABOUT  "TALES  OF  A  TRAVEL 
LER." 

AVING  glanced  at  this  theatrical  episode  in  the 
author's  life,  I  now  resume  the  regular  course 
of  my  narrative,  going  back  to  a  period  shortly 
succeeding  Payne's  departure  for  London,  and  just  after 
Peter  had  left  Havre  for  Paris,  to  become  a  member  of 
his  bachelor  establishment.  At  this  time,  November  8, 
1823,  Murray  applies  the  following  spur  to  his  lagging 
pen. 

November  8th.— "Mr.  H.  Payne  tells  me  he  is  a  fellow- 
lodger  with  you  at  Paris,  and  as  he  is  expected  quickly 
to  return,  I  cannot  refrain  from  sending  compliments  to 
you,  and  of  adding  an  inquiry  as  to  your  literary  occupa 
tions,  and  what  your  publisher  may  be  allowed  to  expect 
from  you  in  the  course  of  the  winter.  I  am  perfectly 
ready  for  you,  and  the  sooner  you  take  the  field  the  bet 
ter."  Thus  stimulated,  he  felt  increased  impatience  to 

80 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING.  3J 

mature  some  of  the  literary  plans  he  had  been  revolving. 
"  Wrote  a  little  at  *  History  of  an  Author,'  "  *  is  one  pas 
sage  in  his  memorandum  book.  "  Tried  to  commence 
work  on  Germany,  but  could  not  do  anything,"  is  an 
other.  Then  follows :  "  Toward  twelve  o'clock,  an  idea 
of  a  plan  dawned  on  me — made  it  out  a  little,  and  min 
uted  down  heads  of  it.  Felt  more  encouraged — felt  as  if 
I  should  make  something  out  of  it."  This  was  a  plan,  as 
he  once  told  me,  to  mingle  up  the  legendary  supersti 
tions  of  Germany,  in  the  form  of  tales,  with  local  descrip 
tions  and  a  little  of  the  cream  of  travelling  incidents,  but 
he  added,  "  there  was  a  rawness  about  every  attempt  to 
bring  it  into  shape.  It  needed  time  to  mellow  in  my 
mind."  At  a  later  date,  December  17,  I  evolve  from  the 
scarcely  legible  leaves  of  his  pencilled  memorandum  this 
passage  :  "  Woke  early — felt  depressed  and  desponding — 
suddenly  a  thought  struck  me  how  to  arrange  the  MSS. 
on  hand,  so  as  to  make  two  volumes  of  '  Sketch  Book ' — 
that  quite  enlivened  me.  At  breakfast  communicated  it 
to  Peter  [now  sharing  his  lodgings],  who  was  highly 
pleased  with  it."  Under  this  animating  impulse,  he 
writes  to  Murray,  December  22,  telling  him  he  should 
"  probably  have  two  volumes  of  the  '  Sketch  Book '  ready 
for  him  in  the  spring,"  and  his  note-book  shows  him  at 
work  the  next  day  on  an  article  on  "  French  and  English 

*  This  was  the  title  selected  for  the  novel  in  which  he  was  intending  to 
expand  Buckthorne  and  Ms  Friends,  as  before  mentioned  ;  which  pur 
pose,  however,  he  never  fulfilled. 


32  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

animosity  and  character,"  probably  intended  for  the  new 
"  Sketch  Book."  A  few  of  the  succeeding  days  are  given 
to  the  story  of  "  Wolfert  Webber,"  the  rough  draft  of 
which  he  finished  January  3,  and  then,  after  a  little  re 
touching  and  altering  with  a  feeling  of  exhaustion,  "  and 
heavy  and  clogged  in  his  faculties  by  cold,"  he  drops  the 
pen. 

A  few  more  leaves  gleaned  from  his  memorandum 
book,  as  he  styles  the  miscellaneous  registry,  gives  us 
some  other  glimpses  and  anecdotes  of  his  life  during  this 
sojourn  in  Paris,  which  precedes  the  publication  of  the 
"  Tales  of  a  Traveller." 

Friday,  November  28th,  1823. — Dined  at  Beauvilliers,  in  company  with 
Talma  and  others.  Talma  was  in  fine  spirits  ;  very  frank,  natural,  and 
communicative.  He  speaks  English  well,  and  appeared  to  like  the  Eng 
lish  character.  He  thinks  the  English  are  a  noble  people,  but  the  French 
are  more  amiable  and  agreeable  to  live  among.  The  intelligent  English 
are  disposed  to  do  generous  actions,  but  the  common  people  are  not  so 
liberal  as  the  same  class  among  the  French.  The  common  English  have 
bitter  national  prejudices.  If  a  French  prisoner  escaped  in  England,  the 
common  people  were  against  him.  When  the  fight  was  going  on  round 
Paris,  the  Austrian  and  other  prisoners  were  brought  in  wounded  and 
passed  along  the  boulevards ;  the  people  pitied  them,  and  gave  them 
money,  bread,  etc.  He  spoke  of  two  French  prisoners  that  escaped  iik 
England,  and  made  their  way  to  a  seaport  to  get  over  to  France.  All 
their  money,  however,  was  exhausted,  and  they  had  not  wherewithal  to 
hire  a  boat.  Seeing  a  banker's  name  over  a  door,  they  went  in,  stated 
their  case  frankly,  and  asked  for  a  little  pecuniary  assistance,  promising 
to  refund.  He  at  once  gave  them  one  hundred  pounds.  They  offered  a 
bill  or  receipt.  He  declined,  "If  you  be  not  men  of  honor,"  said  he, 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  33 

"  such  paper  would  be  of  no  use,  and  if  you  are  men  of  honor,  there  is  no 
need  of  it."  This  was  related  to  Talma  by  one  of  the  parties  obliged. 

He  recollects  seeing  Franklin  during  the  revolution. 

Saturday,  November  29th. — Eeduced  "  Azendai"  to  two  acts  and  sent 
it  to  Payne,  to  whom  I  also  write — went  to  manege  and  took  exercise  on 
horseback — dined  at  home — passed  the  evening  at  Mr.  Storrow's  [an 
American  family  residing  in  Paris,  with  whom  he  was  very  intimate]. 

December  4th. — Kenney  breakfasted  with  me — much  talk  about  the 
theatres — incredible  the  rivalships  and  feuds  between  the  actors — Kean  is 
impatient  of  having  any  one  in  same  piece  that  has  a  good  part — asked 
Elliston  last  season  :  "  How  long,  sir,  am  I  to  act  with  that  d d  Jesu 
itical  bug r,  Young  ?  " — Kenney  told  story  of  young  empty  officer  who 

brought  accounts  of  battle  of  Waterloo— invited  to  Holland  House — in 
great  spirits,  imagining  he  should  make  his  way  famously  by  giving  ac 
count  of  the  battle — talked  largely  at  table — Lady  Holland,  as  Luttrell 

said,  kept  eyeing  him  with  a  look  that  seemed  to  say,  "  I'll  be  d d  if 

you  are  ever  in  this  house  again  " — after  breakfast,  as  the  day  was  mild 
and  did  not  rain,  went  to  Galignani's,  then  to  Louvre —  .... 
returned  and  dressed  for  dinner — dined  tete-d-tete  with  Lord  John  Russell 
at  his  lodgings,  Bains  de  Tivoli  -  talked  of  Moore. 

Moore  has  abandoned  his  great  poem — the  Loves  of  the  Angels  was  an 
episode  of  it  which  he  enlarged.  Its  want  of  success  discouraged  him— 
Lady  Donegal  wrote  to  him,  "It  both  displeases  and  disappoints  me" 
— this  was  a  sore  blow — Lord  Lansdowne,  who  had  read  and  liked  it,  just 
then  arrived  down  in  the  country,  but  neglected  to  write  Moore  for  some 
days  on  the  subject — Moore  took  this  as  a  tacit  disapprobation,  and  was 
very  much  disheartened. 

Wednesday,  January  7th. — Call  this  morning  at  Galignani's — agree 
to  correct  "Salmagundi"  for  him.*  Get  Byron's  last  cantos  of  "Don 
Juan  " —  ....  Pass  evening  at  home  dozing  and  reading  part  of 
ninth  canto  of  "  Don  Juan,"  which  I  do  not  much  relish. 

*  Payne  had  just  written  him  from  London  (December  26) :  ''  A  great  fus»  has  been 
made  here  by  Tegg  in  republishjng  Sqlmagurufi  under  your  name.  J  will  ee«d  you  a 
copy." 

vo:u  w,— 3 


34  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

Thursday,  8th. — Call  on  Villamil,  who  has  been  confined  some  time 
with  the  gout — find  there  Lord  John  Russell,  Capt.  Medwin,  a  friend  of 
Lord  Byron,  and  author  of  the  "  Wandering  Jew" — dissertation  by  Villa- 
mil  on  craniology — [he  was  a  determined  craniologist]. — Captain  Medwin 
says  Byron  is  very  abstemious,  and  has  reduced  himself  quite  thin — is  in 
excellent  health. 

Friday,  9th. — Dined  at  Madame  de  Quandt's,  Hotel  Mirabeau,  a  Ger 
man  lady — blue-stocking — met  there  Dr.  Gall — middle-sized  old  gent, 
with  bald  head — hair  bushy  each  side — round  forehead — wrinkled — dry, 
brownish,  Chinese  complexion — black  eyes. 

January  12th,  1834. — Go  in  evening  to  Theatre  Fran§ais — ficole  des 
Vieillards — Talma  and  Mile.  Mars  admirable. 

14th. — Very  cold  weather — feel  symptoms  of  having  caught  cold — great 
hoarseness — stiffness  of  the  muscles  of  the  throat — after  breakfast  send 
copy  of  " Salmagundi"  to  Galignani — go  there — return  him  "  Don  Juan  " 
— read  papers. 

15th. — Dined  at  Grattan's* — present,  Lady  Vavasour,  Miss  Pollard, 
Mr.  Horace  Smith,  etc. — Horace  Smith  pleasant,  but  a  cold  witty  man. 

Saturday,  llth. — After  breakfast  read  Cresset's  "  Ver-vert,  or  History  of 
a  Parrot " — excellent — full  of  wit  and  waggery,  and  delightfully  versified. 

January  22d,  1824. — Read  in  "Den  Carlos" — call  at  Galignani's — read 
papers  and  return  home,  and  lie  on  sofa  all  day  reading  " Don  Carlos" — 
send  books  to  the  King's  Library,  and  get  out  History  of  Normandy— 
dine  at  General  Airey's  —  very  pleasant  dinner — General  Airey's  story  of 
Irishman,  who  asked  the  other  why  he  did  not  go  to  some  public  amuse 
ment  :  "Why,  my  wife  has  been  dead  but  a  month."  "Well,  what  of 
that,  she'll  never  be  deader." 

January  2Qth. — Read  the  "Wanderer,"  a  poem  by  Captain  Medwin — 
has  many  beautiful  passages— called  on  Captain  M. — promised  to  dine 
with  him  to-morrow — he  is  cousin  to  Mr.  Shelley — character  of  Julian  in 

the  "Wanderer,"  Shelley's Mr.  Foy  called  at  two— sat  for 

my  likeness. 

*  Aattw  Of  Highways  and  Bywayt, 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  35 

January  30th. — Visit  from  Mr.  Goodrich  of  Conn. — brought  letters 
from  John  T.  Irving — received  letter  from  Payne,  inclosing  fifty  pounds 
to  pay  certain  bills — he  has  concluded  bargain  with  managers — two  hun 
dred  guineas— [for  "  Richelieu  "  and  "  Charles  II.,"  as  stated  in  the  pre 
ceding  chapter]. 

February  1st. —  ....  Drove  with  Captain  Medwin  in  his  cabriolet 
to  Bois  de  Boulogne — long  talk  about  Lord  Byron — he  writes  at  fits— has 
intervals  when  he  cannot  write,  continuing  two  and  three  weeks— does  not 
revise  nor  correct  much — writes  sometimes  in  bed — rises  at  twelve — some 
times  two — eats  a  crust  in  a  cup  of  tea  with  egg — rides  out  at  four — 
when  in  writing  mood  writes  at  any  time — if  persons  are  present  often 
writes  and  talks — does  not  seclude  and  deny  himself — never  speaks  ill  of 
Lady  Byron — when  her  father  died  he  wrote  a  most  affectionate  and 
moving  letter— wished  a  reconciliation — received  no  reply,  but  a  cold 
message  through  his  sister — when  he  dines  by  himself  is  very  abstemi* 
ous  as  to  wine — when  he  has  company  he  drinks  freely— gives  away 
large  sums — reads  miscellaneously  all  the  modern  works — reads  much 
— does  not  study — never  touches  the  classics — is  not  a  good  Grecian 
— understands  Italian  well — reads  history,  etc.,  relative  to  the  subject 
he  is  writing  on — has  an  excellent  memory,  but  not  for  dates — a  poeti 
cal  memory — does  not  like  to  meet  strangers  who  are  desirous  to  see 
him — says  they  expect  great  things,  and  he  is  but  a  common  man  in  con 
versation. 

February  3d. — Last  night  and  this  morning  read  "St.  Ronan's  Well" 
— evening  to  opera— Tancredi— sat  in  Dr.  G.'s  box— Pasta  vexed  in  course 
of  evening  by  a  duet  being  called  for  which  had  been  omitted,  Pasta  be 
ing  indisposed — Miss  G.  says  Pasta  is  very  pleasant — not  well  informed, 
but  of  good  natural  talent — feels  strongly  what  she  plays,  and  is  often 
over-powered  by  her  characters,  particularly  the  few  first  representations 
—does  not  seem  to  be  happy — her  husband  gambles — when  Pasta  sits  by 
her  at  music  the  tears  will  stream  down  her  cheeks — is  a  little  high- 
tempered  and  capricious,  but  amiable—  has  a  fine  little  girl  about  seven — 
anecdote  of  Miss  G. — her  English  servant  being  sent  for  a  coiffeur  went 
for  a  confessor. 


36  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

February  1th. — Read  miscellaneously  and  look  over  MSS.,  but  cannot 
write. 

February  Qth.  —  This  morning  finished  correcting  "Salmagundi"— 
write  to  Leslie. 

I  give  the  letter  in  which  he  mentions  that  he  is  trying 
to  get  some  manuscripts  in  order  for  a  couple  more  vol 
umes  of  the  "  Sketch  Book ;  "  a  plan  afterward  relin 
quished  for  "  The  Tales  of  a  Traveller,"  as  we  shall  see 
by  some  further  quotations  from  his  memorandum  book, 
and  the  letter  to  Murray,  which  is  to  follow. 

[To  Charles  R.  Leslie.'] 

PARIS,  February  8, 1824. 
MY  DEAR  LESLIE  :— - 

It  is  a  long  while  since  I  have  heard  from  either  you  or  Newton.  How 
are  you  both,  and  what  are  you  doing  ?  I  see  among  the  pictures  to  be 
exhibited  at  the  British  Gallery  a  "  Don  Quixote  "  by  Newton,  which  I 
presume  is  the  little  picture  made  from  poor  Ogilvie,  which  I  have  before 
heard  of.  Do  you  not  intend  to  have  anything  ready  for  the  next  Ex 
hibition  ?  I  long  to  see  you  again  to  have  some  good  long  talks  with  you. 
I  wish  you  were  here  at  present,  I  think  you  would  do  me  good.  I  am 
trying  to  get  some  manuscripts  in  order  for  a  couple  more  volumes  of 
I  lie  "  Sketch  Book,"  but  I  have  been  visited  by  a  fit  of  sterility  for  this 
month  past  that  throws  me  all  aback,  and  discourages  me  as  to  the  hope 
of  getting  ready  for  a  spring  appearance.  1  have  a  Dutch  story  written, 
\vhich  I  have  shown  to  friend  Foy,  for  I  like  to  consult  brother  artists. 
He  thinks  it  equal  to  any  of  my  others.  I  think  you  would  like  it  I 
have  determined  also  to  introduce  my  "  History  of  an  Author,"  breaking 
it  into  parts  and  distributing  it  through  the  two  volumes.  It  had  grown 
stale  with  me,  and  I  never  could  get  into  the  vein  sufficient  to  carry  it  on 
and  finish  it  as  a  separate  work.  .... 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  37 

I  am  sorry  to  see  "Salmagundi"  is  published  at  London,  with  all  its 
faults  upon  its  head.  I  have  corrected  a  copy  for  Galignani,  whom  I 
found  bent  upon  putting  it  to  press.  My  corrections  consist  almost  en 
tirely  in  expunging  words,  and  here  and  there  an  offensive  sentence.  1 
have  a  set  of  your  illustrations  of  my  works;  they  are  admirable.  I  wish 
you  had  made  others  for  "  Bracebridge  Hall,"  or  that  you  would  still  do 
so.  I  still  think  your  "  Dutch  Fireside  "  worthy  of  being  painted  by  you 
as  a  cabinet  picture.  It  is  admirable.  The  engraving  from  Newton's 
portrait  of  me  is  thought  an  excellent  likeness  by  my  brother  and  by 
others  here. 

I  see  Mr.  Poy  very  frequently,  and  the  more  1  see  of  him  the  better  I 
like  him.  I  thank  you  for  making  me  acquainted  with  him.  I  am  very 
much  incommoded  by  visits  and  invitations,  for  in  spite  of  every  exertion 
I  find  it  impossible  to  keep  clear  of  society  entirely  without  downright 
churlishness  and  incivility. 

Do  let  me  hear  from  you,  my  dear  Leslie,  as  soon  as  you  can  spare  a 
moment  to  the  pen.  I  am  sure  a  letter  from  you  will  be  of  service  to  me, 
as  a  visit  from  you  has  often  been,  when  in  one  of  my  dispirited  moods. 
Give  my  best  remembrances  to  your  sister,  and  to  Newton  when  you  see 
him.  Tours  ever, 

W.I. 

I  resume  with  some  leaves  from  his  memorandum 
book,  beginning  nine  days  after  the  letter  just  given. 

February  17th. — Wake  very  early — get  up  at  six  o'clock,  and  write  till 
eight  at  introductory  part  of  Italian  tale — after  breakfast  resume  my 
pen  and  write  all  day  at  the  Italian  story — finish  the  introduction  and 
commence  the  tale — write  twenty-eight  pages  this  day — clean  and  neat 
writing. 

February  18th. — Slept  ill  last  night — rise  unrefreshed — while  breakfast 
things  are  removing,  scrawl  the  story  of  the  "Bold  Dragoon" — after 
broiikfast  resume  the  Italian  story — rewrite  what  I  wrote  yesterday,  and 
add  eight  or  nine  pages — feel  haggard  from  want  of  rest  last  night. 

February  IQth.— Wake  very  early  in  the  morning  and  try  in  vain  to 

/•*  vy  r*  o,  /-» 

6  7636 


38  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

sleep  again — after  breakfast  resume  the  story  of  the  "  Mysterious  Pic 
ture  " — Captain  Medwin  calls,  but  I  continue  writing — finish  the  story  by 
half  past  three,  having  written  twenty-three  pages  since  half  past  nine — 
dine  at  Dr.  Maclaughlin's — present  several  gentlemen  whom  I  knew  by 
sight,  but  not  by  name,  except  Colonel  Thornton — Thornton  speaks  of  the 
handsome  manner  in  which  General  Jackson  sent  back  watches  and 
epaulettes,  that  had  been  taken  from  officers  at  New  Orleans — speaks  of 
the  custom  in  war,  not  to  fire  upon  individuals — even  if  reconnoitring 
parties  advance  too  near,  when  no  actual  engagement  is  going  on,  they 
are  hailed  and  desired  to  keep  back. 

February  20th. — Slept  ill  last  night — after  breakfast  this  morning,  re 
sume  and  write  the  stories  of  the  "Aunt,"  and  the  "Bold  Dragoon" — 
twenty-three  pages — at  four  o'clock  go  to  Galignani's— Galignani  proposes 
my  editing  an  edition  of  "  British  Classics  " — promise  to  think  of  it — he 
is  about  publishing  Knickerbocker— dined  at  Medwin's  with  Mr.  Jenkin- 
son  and  Mr.  Mills — I  was  oppressed  by  torpor  and  heaviness. 

February  22d. — Rewrite  the  story  of  "  My  Uncle  and  the  Marquis  "— 
fourteen  pages. 

February  2Sd. — This  morning  write  introduction  to  Robber  tales — 
twelve  pages  —  interrupted  by  various  circumstances  —  Galignani  and 
Didot  call  to  engage  me  as  editor  of  their  edition  of  "British  Classics  "- 
refer  them  to  Peter. 

February  24=th. — Wakeful  at  night — write  five  pages — story  of  Pop- 
kins — all  the  worse  for  writing — went  with  Peter  to  Galignani's — talked 
of  the  editing  of  British  authors — they  offered  20,000  francs — stated  my 
terms. 

February  25th.— Awoke  early — felt  greatly  relieved  by  the  bath  and 
sleep  of  last  night — wrote  in  bed  on  the  Robber  story,  namely,  the 
adventure  of  Popkins — ten  pages  before  breakfast — after  breakfast  wrote 
the  concluding  adventure  of  the  attack  of  the  escort — ten  pages. 

March  \\th. — Write  from  five  o'clock  this  morning  at  author — Mr. 
Galignani  calls  this  morning  about  my  editing  suite  of  English  authors — 
we  cannot  agree  about  the  first  condition — namely,  an  advance  of  £100— 
he  goes  off  to  consult  Didot. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  39 

March  13th. — Galignani  called  to-day  and  acceded  to  my  terms. 

March  14th. — Write  prospectus  and  terms  for  collection  of  British 
Literature — Galignani  calls  and  agrees  to  my  terms — 250  francs  a  volume 
—2,500  francs  in  advance. 

He  asks  an  advance  because  he  did  not  wish  to  put  his 
name,  which  was  his  capital,  to  a  doubtful  enterprise 
without  some  certain  remuneration. 

March  15th. — Write  introduction  to  "  Wolfert  Webber" — received  a 
present  of  books  from  Galignani  and  Baudry,  for  my  correction  of  "  Sal 
magundi  "  and  Knickerbocker,  consisting  of  thirty-three  volumes  octavo, 
elegantly  bound,  of  choice  French  authors — Racine,  La  Fontaine,  Moliere^ 
etc. 

March  17th. — Write  a  little  this  morning  at  Buckthorne  story — merely 
arranging  it. 

March  22d. — Wrote  this  morning  at  "Goldsmith's  Life"— [for  the  col 
lection  of  British  Literature  he  had  just  agreed  to  edit] — at  two  o'clock 
went  to  a  wedding,  etc. — return  home  and  find  letter  from  Murray  full  of 
kindness  and  friendly  profession— offers  1,200  guineas  for  my  new  work 
in  two  vols.,  without  seeing  it  till  in  print. 

March  25th. — Write  to  Murray  requiring  £1,500. 

I  give  the  letter,  which  shows  that  he  had  now  aban 
doned  his  project  of  a  second  Sketch  Book. 

[To  John  Murray.] 

PARIS,  March  25, 1834. 
MY  DEAR  Sm  : — 

Your  letter  of  the  18th  was  a  very  gratifying  one,  as  it  so  satisfactorily 
accounted  for  a  silence  which  quite  perplexed  me.  I  do  not  regret  having 
turned  aside  from  my  idea  of  preparing  two  more  volumes  of  the  "  Sketch 


40  LIFE  AND  LETTERS  Of   IRVING. 

Book,"  as  I  think  I  have  run  into  a  plan  and  thrown  off  writings  which 
will  be  more  novel  and  attractive.  I  have  the  materials  for  two  volumes 
nearly  prepared,  but  there  will  yet  be  a  little  rewriting  and  filling  up  nec 
essary.  I  hope,  however,  to  lay  the  work  before  you  in  the  course  of  six 
weeks.  I  think  the  title  will  be  "Tales  of  a  Traveller,"  by  Geoffrey 
Crayon,  Gent.  Your  offer  of  twelve  hundred  guineas  without  seeing  the 
MSS.  is,  I  confess,  a  liberal  one,  and  made  in  your  own  gentlemanlike 
manner,  but  I  would  rather  you  would  see  the  MS.  and  make  it  fifteen 
hundred.  Don't  think  me  greedy  after  money  ;  but  in  fact  I  have  need 
of  all  I  can  get  just  now,  as  I  can  do  five  pounds'  worth  of  good  with 
every  pound  I  can  spare,  and  since  the  world  won't  let  me  live  as  I  please, 
I  find  it  very  expensive  to  live  with  the  world. 

Those  who  have  seen  various  parts  of  what  I  have  prepared,  think  the 
work  will  be  the  best  thing  I  have  written,  and  that  it  will  be  very  suc 
cessful  with  the  public.  An  author  is  not,  perhaps,  the  best  judge  of  his 
productions,  otherwise  I  might  throw  my  own  opinion  into  the  scale. 

I  shall  go  on  to  finish  the  work  as  soon  as  possible,  and  shall  bring  it 
over  to  England  before  long,  as  I  can  write  upon  it  while  there,  and 
indeed  while  it  is  printing. 

I  write  in  excessive  haste  to  save  the  mail,  which  is  nearly  closing. 

Present  my  most  kind  remembrances  to  Mrs.  Murray,  and  believe  me, 
dear  sir,  Very  sincerely,  your  friend, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

I  am  writing  with  a  bewildered  head  and  feverish  hand,  having  re 
turned  at  almost  daylight  from  a  fancy  ball  at  the  British  ambassador's— 
the  most  magnificent  thing  I  have  ever  seen,  and  which  must  dazzle  al] 
Paris. 


CHAPTEE  HI 

ARRIVAL  IN  LONDON. — LETTER  TO  PETER. — INTERVIEW  WITH  MURRAY. — AT 
TENDS  REPRESENTATION  OF  "  CHARLES  II." — LESLIE. — NEWTON. — MOORE. 
— WILLIAM  SPENCER. — ROGERS. — LADY  CAROLINE  LAMB. — THE  MAN  OF  MANY 
INVITATIONS.  —LEAVES  LONDON  WITH  MILLS  FOR  MANOR  HOUSE,  LYNDHURST. 
— GOES  TO  BATH  TO  MEET  MOORE. — ELWYN'S  DINNER. — EXTRACTS  FROM 
MEMORANDUM  BOOK. — FAREWELL  TO  MOORE. — LETTER  TO  PETER. — INTENT 
ON  LITERARY  OCCUPATION. — DINNER  WITH  ROGERS. — HIS  GOOD  STORY  OF  A 
FRENCH  ABBE. — FALLS  SHORT  IN  MANUSCRIPT  FOR  "  TALES  OF  ATRAVELLER." 
— SUPPLIES  THE  DEFICIENCY. — STARTS  FOR  FRANCE. — LETTER  TO  MOORE  ON 
THE  WAY. — MOORE'S  REPLY. — KENNEY  AND  SCROOPE  DAVIES. 

WO  months  after  the  date  of  the  letter  to  Mur 
ray,  given  at  the  close  of  the  preceding  chapter, 
leaving  Peter  in  his  bachelor  quarters  at  No.  89 
Rue  Richelieu,  Mr.  Irving  took  his  work  over  to  England, 
and  in  a  letter  dated  London,  May  31,  1824,  thus  ad 
dresses  that  brother : — 

My  DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

I  arrived  here  safe  and  sound  on  Friday  evening,  after  a  very  pleasant 
journey.  I  saw  Murray  on  Saturday,  and  arranged  the  business  in  two 
minutes.  He  behaved  like  a  gentleman.  Told  me  he  had  not  replied  to 
my  last  letter,  because  he  was  in  daily  expectation  of  my  arrival.  That 
he  agreed  to  my  terms  without  seeing  the  MSS.  That  it  could  be  put  to 
press  the  moment  I  was  ready,  and  should  be  printed  as  fast  or  as  slowly 

41 


42  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

as  I  pleased.     In  a  word,  everything  went  as  smoothly  and  pleasantly  as 
heart  could  wish. 

.  .  .  .  1  got  in  time  on  Friday  evening  to  see  the  second  represen 
tation  of  "Charles  II."  It  succeeds  very  well,  though  the  critics  attack 
the  language.  The  fact  is,  the  first  act  is  extremely  heavy,  in  consequence 
of  being  extremely  ill  played The  second  act  goes  off  fa 
mously,  and  so  does  the  greater  part  of  the  third,  in  consequence  of  the 
excellent  acting  of  Fawcett  in  Copp.  He  makes  it  one  of  the  best  things 
I  ever  saw  him  do.  I  shall  assist  Payne  in  pruning  the  piece  to-day,  and 
I  have  no  doubt  it  will  have  a  good  run.  Payne  intends  putting  it  to 
press  immediately. 

Leslie  has  completely  established  his  reputation  by  his  "  Sancho  in  the 
Apartment  of  the  Duchess."  It  is  a  lovely  painting  ;  one  of  the  most 
charming  things  I  have  seen  in  modern  art.  It  is  decidedly  the  crack 
picture  of  the  exhibition,  and  is  greatly  talked  of.  Lord  Egremont  is  the 
owner  of  it.  He  has  taken  Leslie  by  the  hand  for  this  year  or  two  past 
in  a  generous  manner. 

.  .  .  .  Newton's  "Dr.  Porceaugnac"  is  far  beyond  my  expecta 
tions,  and  does  him  great  credit.  For  composition  and  execution  it  is 
far  the  best  thing  he  has  done  ;  and  he  has  managed  the  subject  so  as  to 
obviate  the  objections  we  apprehended.  He  is  getting  reputation  as  fast 
as  could  be  wished. 

I  am  rejoiced  that  I  got  my  work  ready  before  coming  here,  or  I  should 
have  been  full  of  perplexity  and  annoyance,  as  I  am  kept  in  a  continual 
whirl.  Moore  is  in  town.  I  was  with  him  a  great  part  of  the  day  before 
yesterday  ;  yesterday  he  passed  in  the  country  ;  to-day  we  dine  together. 

I  write  in  extreme  haste,  just  to  give  you  the  main  points  of  informa 
tion.  I  will  write  fuller  at  more  leisure. 

Colonel  Aspinwall  tells  me  he  has  copious  particulars  about  Kidd  to 
give  me.  Affectionately  your  brother, 

W.  I. 

William  Spencer  has  just  invited  me  to  take  up  my  quarters  at  his 
lodgings,  No.  4  Mount  St.,  Grosvenor  Square.  Address  to  me  there. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVINQ.  43 

William  Spencer,  here  mentioned,  was  the  author  of 
those  exquisite  lines  familiar  to  every  reader  of  poetry, 
beginning  :  "  Too  late  I  stayed — forgive  the  crime."  Be 
sides  the  literary  characters  mentioned  in  this  letter,  his 
memorandum  book  presents  the  following  glimpses  of 
Rogers,  and  specimens  of  his  table  talk.  Byron,  it  will 
be  remembered,  had  died  at  Missolonghi,  in  April,  and 
his  executors  had  insisted  upon  the  total  destruction  of 
the  Memoirs  presented  to  Moore. 

Sunday,  May  30th. — Breakfasted  with  Rogers  in  company  with  New 
ton,  Leslie,  and  Proctor,  the  poet.  Rogers  said  that  when  Lord  Byron 
and  Lady  Caroline  Lamb  quarreled,  Lord  Byron  told  him  when  men 
and  women  fell  out  the  one  that  keeps  the  ground  longest  wins.  "  Lady 
Caroline  gave  in  two  minutes  before  me."  Lady  Caroline  took  all  Lord 
Byron's  letters,  made  a  funeral  pyre  of  them,  put  his  miniature  on  th« 
top,  had  a  number  of  young  girls  to  dance  round,  singing  a  kind  of  in 
cantation,  and  burnt  them  ;  but  mark  you,  they  were  only  copies,  and 
what  made  the  ridiculousness  complete  was,  that  there  was  no  one  present 
to  be  taken  in  by  it  but  herself,  and  she  was  in  the  secret. 

He  said  when  Lord  and  Lady  Byron  separated,  Byron  told  all  his 
friends,  and  Rogers  among  the  number,  that  he  alone  was  to  blame. 

Rogers  thinks  Murray  the  great  loser  by  the  burning  of  the  MSS.,  as 
he  bought  a  post  obit  work  not  to  be  available  until  the  death  of  a  man 
younger  than  himself  ;  of  course  he  ran  a  great  risk  ;  unexpectedly  the 
death  of  that  person  makes  the  MSS.  available  in  the  course  of  a  year, 
but  he  is  deprived  of  his  bargain. 

Rogers  says  Moore  does  not  recollect  the  MSS.,  and  he  says  he  does  not 
believe  he  read  it  ;  as  while  in  Paris  he  was  so  continually  engaged  he 
had  not  time  to  read  even  his  billet  doux. 

Rogers  suspected  he  himself  is  handled  harshly  in  the  Memoir,  as  Moora 
did  not  show  it  to  him. 


44  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

A  few  days  later,  liis  memorandum  book  contains  this 
further  specimen  of  the  table-talk  of  the  poet,  who,  it  will 
be  remembered,  was  one  of  the  men  most  sought  after  in 
high  society  in  England. 

Saturday,  June  5th. — Called  on  Rogers.  He  gave  me  an  amusing 
instance  of  the  sincerity  of  dinner  invitations.  He  was  invited  by  Lady 
J.  to  dine  with  her  on  a  certain  day.  He  endeavored  to  excuse  himself, 
as  he  was  about  to  leave  town  on  a  country  excursion.  She  would  take 
no  excuse  ;  he  must  come  ;  would  be  glad  to  have  him  on  any  terms  ; 
would  take  her  chance,  etc.,  etc.  He  accordingly  promised  to  come  if  he 

should  return  from  the  country  in  time.  He  was  asked  by  Lady  B 

P to  come  on  the  same  day  ;  he  made  the  same  excuse.  She 

would  not  listen  to  it ;  he  had  disappointed  her  so  often,  he  must  come  ; 
she  would  expect  him,  etc.,  etc. 

The  Duchess  of  S told  him  that  when  he  returned  to  town  he 

must  come  and  dine  with  her  ;  she  was  always  at  home  and  would  always 
be  glad  to  see  him,  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 

He  returned  to  town  on  the  day  designated  in  the  invitations  ;  made  a 

morning  call  on  Lady  J .  "Well,"  cried  she,  "  you  are  coming  to 

dine  ;  that's  so  good  of  you ;  that's  so  friendly !  " 

"  I  will  come  with  pleasure,"  replied  Rogers,  "  if  your  table  is  not  made 
up  ;  otherwise  make  no  stranger  of  me  ;  I  can  dine  elsewhere  ;  Lady 
B P has  asked  me, "  etc. ,  etc. 

"Why,  really;  to  treat  you  as  a  friend,  we  are  expecting  a  great 

many  ;  our  table  is  full,  and  if  you  could  dine  with  Lady  B ;  you 

see  I  make  no  ceremony,"  etc.,  etc. 

Rogers  took  his  leave  good-humoredly,  and  went  to  Lady  B . 

"Ah  !  you  are  coming  to  say  yes  ;  you  mean  to  dine  with  us  to-day  ; 
that's  so  good  of  you,  I'll  never  forget  it,"  etc.,  etc. 

"  Why,  indeed,  I  have  come  to  accept,  but  yet  don't  put  yourself  to 
inconvenience  ;  I  can  dine  elsewhere." 

"  Why,  really,  we  have  issued  invitations  for  as  many  as  our  table  will 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  45 

hold,  but  L.  has  not  replied ;  if  you  could  see  him,  and  know  whether  he 
comes  or  not.  If  he  does  not  come  and  you  would  take  his  place  we 
would  be  so  obliged,"  etc.,  etc. 

Rogers  had  now  his  dernier  ressort,  the  Duchess  of  S ,  who  was 

always  at  home  and  was  always  glad  to  see  him,  and  would  always  take  it 
as  a  favor  if  he  would  come  sans  ceremonie.  He  accordingly  called  on  her, 
but  she  never  said  a  word  about  his  coming  to  dinner.  In  fine,  the  man 
of  many  invitations  ate  his  dinner  at  a  coffee-house,  and  spent  a  dull 
evening  at  a  theatre. 

A  few  days  after  the  date  of  this  record,  he  writes  to 
Peter  in  a  letter  dated  Manor  House,  Lyndhurst,  June 
10,  1824 :- 

I  passed  about  nine  days  in  town,  in  a  complete  hurry.  To  attend  to 
any  literary  concerns  was  impossible.  Payne  copied  part  of  my  MS.,  and 
got  other  parts  copied  by  others,  excepting  about  fifty  pages  which  are  to 
be  sent  to  me  here.  I  shall  be  able  to  forward  all  by  the  fifteenth  via 
Liverpool.  I  left  London  on  Monday  last  with  Mills,  and  got  here  the 
same  day  to  dinner.  I  have  been  here  three  days,  the  weather  beautiful, 
and  have  taken  advantage  of  it  to  see  the  neighborhood.  The  scenery 
about  here  is  very  fine  ;  a  great  deal  of  wild  forest  land.  I  am  delighted 
with  the  manor  house  and  its  inhabitants.  Mr.  Compton  *  is  .... 
a  complete  specimen  of  an  English  country  gentleman.  His  whole  estab 
lishment  is  perfect  in  its  kind,  and  quite  a  study I  shall 

stay  here  until  the  14th,  when  I  go  to  Bath  to  meet  Moore  (whom  I  saw  a 
great  deal  of  in  London).  It  will  be  the  time  of  the  musical  festival.  I 
shall  pass  a  couple  of  days  at  Bath  and  then  go  on  to  Brummy. 

I  shall  wait  a  few  days  longer  before  I  put  my  work  to  press  in  London, 
as  I  wish  the  American  edition  to  have  a  little  chance  for  a  start. 

From  this  place  Mr.  Irving  proceeded  to  Bath,  where 

*  Brother-in-law  of  Frank  Mills,  an  Oxford  scholar  with  whom  he  had  become  ac 
quainted  at  Paris,  and  whom  he  accompanied  on  this  visit. 


46  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

he  had  engaged  to  meet  Moore,  and  on  the  17th  we  have 
this  record  in  his  memorandum  book. 

Thursday,  June  nth. —  Breakfasted  with  Moore — rambled  together 
about  Bath — called  at  Catalani's,  who  was  not  up — left  Bath  at  eleven  in 
post-chaise  with  Moore  for  his  eottage — drove  through  very  pleasant 
country— Moore  told  me  entertaining  story  of  his  becoming  acquainted 
with  a  lady  who  had  just  buried  her  husband — arrived  at  the  cottage 
between  twelve  and  one — very  pleasantly  situated  and  a  delightfully 
arranged  little  retreat — we  rambled  about  the  fields  and  to  Bowood,  the 
seat  of  Lord  Lansdowne,  a  princely  mansion  of  stone,  with  columns  in 
front — fine  park  around — found  Lord  Lansdowne  at  home,  who  received 
us  very  kindly — walked  over  the  grounds  with  us — pretty  waterfall — 
wished  us  to  stay  to  dinner — accompanied  us  part  of  the  way  back — 
begged  me  to  call  on  him  when  I  came  to  town — returned  to  the  cottage 
to  dinner — pleasant  dinner — in  the  evening  a  delightful  walk — passed  the 
evening  at  the  rectory — rector  ill  abed— large  family  of  sons  and  daugh 
ters — very  pleasant — returned  home  about  half  past  nine,  and  went  to  my 
room  at  ten,  but  remained  reading  Lord  Byron's  MS.  Memoirs  till  half 
past  twelve. 

Not  the  memoirs,  of  course,  which  had  been  destroyed, 
and  which  he  had  already  read. 

Moore's  diary  of  this  date  has  the  following : — 

June  nth. — Took  Irving  after  dinner  to  show  him  to  the  Starkeys,  but 
he  was  sleepy  and  did  not  open  his  mouth  ;  the  same  at  Elwyn's  dinner. 
Not  strong  as  a  lion,  but  delightful  as  a  domestic  animal. 

Elwyn's  dinner  was  at  Bath,  on  the  16th,  and  was  given 
to  a  number  of  guests  of  both  sexes.  The  modest  Ameri 
can,  a  stranger  to  all  probably  but  Moore,  was  not  apt  to 
"  come  out "  on  such  occasions.  Indeed,  it  was  only  in 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  47 

the  easy  familiarity  of  domestic  life,  that  he  could  be 
seen  to  the  greatest  advantage.  It  was  here  that  the 
riches  of  his  conversation  were  most  apparent.  His  forte 
in  this  respect  was  his  humor ;  much  of  which,  however, 
was  of  a  kind  of  which  language  can  give  no  idea ;  it  was 
not  more  in  what  he  said,  than  in  the  way  he  said  it ;  the 
play  of  feature,  the  eye,  the  tone,  the  gesture.  There 
was  a  natural,  easy,  delightful  sportiveness  about  his 
conversation  when  under  no  restraints  of  form  or  cere 
mony,  a  mixture  of  wit,  whim,  fun,  and  drollery,  of  which 
few  could  resist  the  fascination.  His  vivacity,  however, 
was  apt  to  desert  him  when  he  most  needed  it,  and  espe 
cially  when  among  strangers,  where  he  was  conscious  of 
particular  or  critical  observation.  Moore,  on  the  other 
hand,  was  always  a  sprightly  and  reliable  conversation 
alist,  and  ever  ready  to  extract  enjoyment  from  the  flying 
moment,  wherever  passed.  He  seemed  ever  to  rise  in 
the  morning,  as  Mr.  Irving  once  remarked  of  him,  with 
the  words  of  the  song  on  his  lips : — • 

"  Say,  what  shall  be  our  sport  to-day?" 
I  continue  with  the  memorandum  book  : — 

June  18th. — Rose  at  seven — read  more  of  Lord  Byron  while  dressing — 
pleasant  breakfast — after  breakfast  adjourned  to  Moore's  study,  where  I 
prepared  a  despatch  for  Murray  of  part  of  the  MS.  of  "  Strange  Stories" 

— dined  a  little  after  two  that  I  might  get  to in  time  for  the  coach 

— after  dinner  set  off  with  Moore,  Mrs.  Moore  and  Mr.  Brannegan  ac 
companying  us  part  of  the  way — had  a  very  pleasant  walk  with  Moore 
through  Lord  Lansdowne's  grounds  to  Mr. where  we  found  the 


48  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

coach  had  just  passed — stopped  there  and  took  tea  while  they  sent  for  a 
chaise — Bowles  church  and  parsonage  in  sight — had  a  pleasant  gossip 
ing  cup  of  tea  and  then  took  an  affectionate  leave  of  that  charming 
fellow  Moore — a  brilliant  in  head  and  heart. 

From  Birmingham,  where  he  went  from  Moore's,  to 
make  a  visit  of  a  few  days  to  his  sister's  family,  he  writes 
to  Peter,  July  29  :  "I  have  furnished  Murray  with  MSS. 
of  part  of  the  first  volume,  but  have  received  no  proof 
sheet  as  yet : "  and  nine  days  later,  we  have  the  follow 
ing  letter  addressed  to  this  brother  touching  on  various 
literary  matters,  and  dated,  as  will  be  seen,  from  the  resi 
dence  of  his  Dresden  friends,  the  Fosters,  where  he  was 
now  on  a  visit. 

BRICKHILL,  near  BEDFORD,  July  7,  1824. 
MY  DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

I  arrived  here  from  town  last  night  on  a  visit  to  my  kind  Dresden 
friends,  the  Fosters,  who  have  welcomed  me  as  to  my  own  home.  I  shall 
stay  here  seven  or  eight  days  at  least. 

I  went  from  Birmingham  to  town  to  put  the  printers  in  motion,  as  I 
received  no  proof  sheets.  It  was  well  I  did,  as  I  found  Murray  had  in 
tended  keeping  the  work  back  till  November.  On  finding  the  danger  of 
being  anticipated  by  an  American  edition,  he  changed  his  plan  and  has 
advertised  it  for  the  first  of  August,  and  set  the  press  hard  at  work.  1 
now  receive  proof  sheets  daily  and  can  push  the  publication  as  briskly  aa 
I  please  ;  but  I  do  not  wish  to  hurry  it  too  quickly.  I  fancy  it  will  ap 
pear  about  the  tenth  of  August.  I  shall  take  care  to  forward  sheets  to 
America.  There  is  no  danger  of  the  work's  being  pirated  in  America, 
under  any  circumstances.  The  public  would  set  their  faces  against  it. 

Five  days  later,  July  12,  he  writes  from  the  same  place 
to  Peter : — 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  49 

I  shall  leave  here  on  Thursday  next  for  London,  but  shall  leave  it 
almost  immediately  on  a  hasty  excursion  to  Yorkshire  ;  which  performed, 
I  shall  think  of  getting  over  to  France  as  soon  as  possible,  and  if  you  are 
still  at  Havre,  will  come  that  way.  I  wish  to  get  back  to  Paris,  and  get 
to  work  again 

I  told  you  in  my  last,  that  I  am  to  prepare  an  improved  and  enlarged 
edition  of  "Salmagundi"  for  Murray.  I  shall  get  materials  for  Rogers' 
and  Campbell's  biographies  in  London,  and  then,  if  I  can  get  a  quiet 
room  at  Auteuil  for  the  month  of  August,  I  think  I  can  get  a  profitable 
little  lot  of  work  done.  I  feel  the  impulse  strong  on  me  to  keep  my  pen 
moving,  and  am  resolved  not  to  flag  nor  falter  until  I  have  secured  plenty 
of  the  needful  to  make  life  easy. 

The  last  entry  in  his  memorandum  book  gives  us  a 
further  allusion  to  Rogers,  whose  biography  and  that  of 
Campbell  he  was  intending  to  prepare  for  the  collection 
of  British  Literature,  for  which  Galignani  had  engaged 
his  pen,  though  he  never  got  beyond  a  brief  life  of  Gold 
smith,  in  an  undertaking  which  soon  fell  to  the  ground. 

Called  at  Rogers' — found  Kenney  and  Rogers'  brother  breakfasting 
with  him — sat  and  chatted  till  twelve— went  with  Kenney  to  Leslie's. — 
Dined  with  Rogers  tete-a-tete— he  was  very  critical  and  censorious  on 
Moore  and  others — told  a  good  story  of  the  French  Abbes — before  the 
French  Revolution,  at  the  houses  of  the  principal  noblemen  there  would 
be  a  plate  left  for  some  chance  Abbe — and  the  first  that  arrived  took  it — 
about  dinner  time  you  would  see  the  Abbt's  [illegible]  picking  their  way 
from  the  top  of  one  stone  to  another — ringing  or  rapping  at  the  port- 
cocher,  and  inquiring—  y-a-t-il  de place  ?  Non,  Monsieur ;  then  he  would 
tillup  onward. — On  one  occasion,  at  the  commencement  of  the  revolution, 
there  was  a  party  dining — the  cart  went  by  carrying  criminals  to  the 
guillotine — all  the  company  ran  to  the  windows —the  Abbe  being  a  short 
VOL.  n. — 4 


50  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

man  tried  to  peep  on  tiptoe,  but  in  vain,  so  he  went  down  to  the  port- 
cocker. — As  the  vehicle  went  by,  one  of  the  victims,  who  knew  the  Abbe, 
bowed  to  him — the  Abbe  returned  the  salutation — "What !  you  are  his 
friend — you  are  one  of  them — away  with  him" — the  poor  Abbe  was 
hoisted  into  the  cart  and  hurried  to  the  guillotine. — The  company  having 
satisfied  their  curiosity,  returned  to  the  table— the  Abbe's  place  was 
vacant — Mais  ou  est  M.  FAbbe  ? — Alas !  the  poor  Abbe  was  already 
headless. 

July  30th,  he  writes  to  Peter  from  London : — 

* 

I  had  hoped  by  this  time  to  be  on  my  way  for  France,  but  the  work  has 
been  thrown  back  this  last  week,  by  finding  the  MSS.  not  sufficient  to 
furnish  matter  for  two  octavo  volumes,  so  I  am  obliged  to  supply  a  couple 
of  sheets  for  each  volume. 

The  first  volume  I  help  out  by  introduction,  and  by  introducing  pas 
sages  into  " Buckthorne's  Life." 

I  have  just  scribbled  off  another  robber  tale  for  the  second,  which  will 
nearly  supply  the  needful,  and  I  think  will  increase  the  effect  of  the  third 
part.  It  makes  me  feel  more  confident  of  the  series  of  Banditti  tales. 

The  moment  I  have  corrected  the  last  proof  sheet,  I  shall  start. 

Having  risen  early  on  the  morning  of  August  13,  and 
corrected  proof  sheets  till  nine,  and  received  Murray's 
drafts  for  the  "  Tales  of  a  Traveller "  at  six,  nine,  and 
twelve  months,  for  500  guineas  each  ;  he  left  London  at 
two  o'clock  in  coaoh  for  Brighton,  crossed  thence  the 
next  day  to  Dieppe,  and  the  day  following  had  engaged 
lodgings  at  Auteuil,  a  few  miles  from  Paris,  where,  as  we 
have  seen,  he  was  hoping  to  do  a  profitable  lot  of  work. 

It  was  at  Brighton,  on  his  way,  that  he  addressed  to 
Moore,  this,  as  the  poet  terms  it  in  his  diary,  "very  amus- 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVIN&.  51 

ing  letter,"  for  a  copy  of  which  I  am  indebted  to  the 
courtesy  of  the  poet's  biographer,  Lord  John,  now  Earl 
EusselL 

[To  Thomas  Moore.] 

BRIGHTON,  August  14,  1824. 

"  My  boat  is  on  the  shore 
And  my  bark  is  on  the  sea ; " 

I  forget  how  the  song  ends,  but  here  I  am  at  Brighton  just  on  the  point 
of  embarking  for  France.  I  have  dragged  myself  out  of  London  as  a 
horse  drags  himself  out  of  the  slough  or  a  fly  out  of  a  honey  pot,  almost 
leaving  a  limb  behind  him  at  every  tug.  Not  that  I  have  been  immersed 
in  pleasure  and  surrounded  by  sweets,  but  rather  up  to  the  ears  in  ink 
and  harassed  by  printer's  devils. 

I  never  have  had  such  fagging  in  altering,  adding,  and  correcting  ; 
and  I  have  been  detained  beyond  all  patience  by  the  delays  of  the  press. 
Yesterday  I  absolutely  broke  away  without  waiting  for  the  last  sheets. 
They  are  to  be  sent  after  me  here  by  mail  to  be  corrected  this  morning, 
or  else  they  must  take  their  chance.  From  the  time  I  first  started  pen 
in  hand  on  this  work,  it  has  been  nothing  but  hard  driving  with  me. 

I  have  not  been  able  to  get  to  Tunbridge  to  see  the  Donegals,  which  I 
really  and  greatly  regret.  Indeed  I  have  seen  nobody  except  a  friend  or 
two,  who  had  the  kindness  to  hunt  me  out.  Among  these  was  Mr.  Story, 
and  I  ate  a  dinner  there  that  it  took  me  a  week  to  digest,  having  been 
obliged  to  swallow  so  much  hard-favored  nonsense  from  a  loud-talking 
baronet  whose  name,  thank  God,  I  forget,  but  who  maintained  Byron 
was  not  a  man  of  courage,  and  therefore  his  poetry  was  not  readable. 
I  was  really  afraid  he  would  bring  John  Story  to  the  same  way  of 
thinking. 

I  went  a  few  evenings  since  to  see  Kenney's  new  piece,  the  "  Alcaid." 
It  went  off  lamely,  and  the  "Alcaid  "  is  rather  a  bore,  and  comes  near 
to  be  generally  thought  so.  Poor  Kenney  came  to  my  room  next  even- 


52  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

ing,  and  I  could  not  have  believed  that  one  night  could  have  ruined  a 
man  so  completely.  I  swear  to  you  I  thought  at  first  it  was  a  flimsy  suit 
of  clothes  had  left  some  bedside  and  walked  into  my  room  without  wait 
ing  for  the  owner  to  get  up  ;  or  that  it  was  one  of  those  frames  on  which 
clothiers  stretch  coats  at  their  shop  doors,  until  I  perceived  a  thin  face 
sticking  edgeways  out  of  the  collar  of  the  coat  like  the  axe  in  a  bundle 
of  fasces.  He  was  so  thin,  and  pale,  and  nervous,  and  exhausted  —  he 
made  a  dozen  difficulties  in  getting  over  a  spot  in  the  carpet,  and  never 
would  have  accomplished  it  if  he  had  not  lifted  himself  over  by  the  points 
of  his  shirt  collar. 

I  saw  Rogers  just  as  I  was  leaving  town.  He  told  me  he  had  seen  you, 
and  that  the  christening  was  soon  to  take  place. 

I  had  not  time  to  ask  Rogers  any  particulars  about  you,  and  indeed  he 
is  not  exactly  the  man  from  whom  I  would  ask  news  about  my  friends. 
I  dined  tete-a-tete  with  him  some  time  since,  and  he  served  up  his  friends 
as  he  served  up  his  fish,  with  a  squeeze  of  lemon  over  each.  It  was  very 
piquant,  but  it  rather  set  my  teeth  on  edge. 

I  hope  you  are  working  at  Lord  Byron's  life.  Sheridan's  can  keep 
without  disadvantage,  but  now  is  the  time  to  work  at  Lord  B.  so  as  to 
bring  it  out  before  the  interest  shall  have  died  away,  or  that  others  shall 
have  usurped  the  public  mind  with  respect  to  him. 

1  met  Mrs.  Brannegan  one  evening  at  the  opera,  and  on  parting  in 
quired  her  address.  I  was  too  busy  to  call  for  a  day  or  two,  and  made 
my  call  the  very  day  she  had  departed. 

Farewell,  my  dear  Moore.  Let  me  hear  from  you,  if  but  a  line  ;  par 
ticularly  if  my  work  pleases  you,  but  don't  say  a  word  against  it.  I  am 
easily  put  out  of  humor  with  what  I  do.  Give  as  much  love  to  Mrs. 
Moore,  as  it  is  respectable  in  a  husband  to  countenance,  and  tell  her  J 
have  ordered  a  copy  of  my  work  to  be  sent  to  her, 

Yours  ever, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 


folio  wing-  is  Moore's  reply  : 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  53 

1824. 
Mr  DEAR  IRVING  : — 

I  take  the  opportunity  of  a  packet  to  Paris  to  tell  you  that  your  book 
is  delightful.  I  never  can  answer  for  what  the  public  will  like,  but  if 
they  do  not  devour  this  with  their  best  appetite,  then  is  good  writing, 
good  fun,  good  sense,  and  all  other  goods  of  authorship  thrown  away 
upon  them.  I  had  to  listen  to  Lord  Lansdowne  the  other  evening  read 
ing  over  whole  pages  of  "  Buckthorne  "  which  I  already  knew  by  heart, 
but  which  he  seemed  so  pleased  with  that  it  would  have  been  a  sin  to 
stop  him.  Luttrell  also  has  been  warm  in  your  praises,  and  altogether 
your  muse,  I  think,  treads  upon  velvet. 

We  have  had  Bowood  swarming  with  aristocracy  and  wit,  and  I  have 
been  gallanting  the  fair  Genoese,  Madlle  Durazzo,  to  mass  [at  Wardour] 
and  other  gayeties.  Lord  Bath's  also  has  been  among  my  visiting  places, 
and  upon  the  whole  I  have  been  quite  as  idle  as  I  ought  not  to  have  been. 

Your  lively  letter  from  Brighton  was  far  too  sprightly  to  be  kept  under 
cork,  and  accordingly  it  effervesced  out  at  Bowood,  much  to  poor  Ken- 
ney's  exposure  and  the  delight  of  every  one.  I  never  read  anything  so 
good,  even  in  your  books.  That  "infidus  scurra,"  Kenney  (as  I  could 
collect  from  Rogers),  showed  me  up  for  the  dinner  I  made  my  good-na 
tured  friend  in  Cleveland  Row  give  you  all.  It  was  an  officious  trick  of 
me,  I  own. 

We  had  little  Russell  christened  while  Lord  John  was  here,  and  I  am 
afraid  he  will  be  a  chip  of  the  old  block,  for  he  was  laughing  at  the  par 
son  all  the  time  of  the  operation. 

God  bless  you,  my  dear  Irving, 

Ever  heartily  yours, 

THOMAS  MOORE. 

Bessy  likes  you  rather  too  well  to  make  her  praise  of  your  book  worth 
much,  but  she  is  enchanted. 

The  dinner  here  alluded  to,  is  touched  upon  in  Mr. 
Irving's  diary  in  this  way  :  "  Dined  at  Mr.  Moore's  near 
the  park— with  Kenney,  Moore,  Newton,  an4  Fitzroy 


54  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

Stanhope — sat  long  at  table — talked  about  Scroope  Davies 
— from  thence  went  to  Mrs.  Story's  to  supper— all  the 
party  dull  and  heavy."  In  conversation  I  have  heard 
him  allude  to  Kenney's  annoyance  at  an  incessant  inter 
change  of  anecdotes  about  "  Scroope  Davies,"  that  was 
kept  up  between  Moore  and  Fitzroy  Stanhope,  whom 
Moore  included  at  the  last  moment  in  the  dinner,  at  first 
intended  only  for  Kenney,  Newton,  and  %Irving,  which 
would  have  made  "  a  good  ensemble"  Fitzroy  Stanhope 
was  a  stranger  to  all  but  Moore,  and  did  not  fit  in  to  the 
party.  He  was  decidedly  de  trap  for  the  "  unrestrained 
flow  of  soul  "  which  Keuney  and  the  other  two  had  pro 
mised  themselves.  "  You  have  spoiled  the  dinner,"  said 
Mr.  Irving  to  Moore,  when  he  told  him  of  the  innova 
tion  ;  "  he  is  a  stranger  to  us  all  and  will  not  be  of  ac 
cord."  "Never  you  fear,"  said  Moore,  "we'll  spread  him 
over  the  scale,  like  a  false  note  in  music."  "  But  I  was 
right,"  said  Mr.  Irving,  in  relating  the  anecdote;  "it 
spoiled  the  dinner."  "  O  !  "  said  Kenney  to  him  on  their 
way  to  Mrs.  Story's,  "  it  was  nothing  but  Scroope  Davies 
this,  and  Scroope  Davies  that ;  they  killed  me  with  their 
Scroope  Davies."  It  was  probably  after  this  infliction 
that  Kenney  related  the  anecdote,  which  I  quote  from 
Moore's  Diary,  and  which  may  have  had  a  significance 
which  Moore  knew  how  to  interpret,  when  he  wrote  his 
letter  to  Mr.  Irving. 

Kenney  mentioned  to-day  Charles  Lamb's  being  once  bored  by  a  lady 
praising  to  him  such  a  "charming  man  ! "  etc.,  etc.,  ending  with  :  "I 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  55 

kuow  him,  bless  him  !"  on  which  Lamb  said,  "  Well,  I  don't,  but  damn 
him  at  a  hazard  ! " 

Kenney  was  no  doubt  ready  with  a  similar  chance  im 
precation  upon  Scroope  Davies,  specimens  of  whose  wit 
formed  the  burden  of  the  feast. 

In  a  letter  received  by  Mr.  Irving  soon  after  from  New 
ton  is  this  passage:  "When  you  see  Kenney  give  my 
best  regards  «to  him.  I  hope  he  has  recovered  entirely 
from  Scroope  Davies ;  his  friend  Stanhope  is  looking 
remarkably  well." 


CHAPTEE  IV. 


PUBLICATION  OP  THE  "  TALES  OF  A  TRAVELLER."— INTERRUPTIONS  OF  SOCIETT. 
— HIS  EVIL  GENIUS. — DOWNHEARTED. — LETTER  TO  PIERRE  PARIS  IRVING. 
— LETTER  TO  LESLIE. — LETTER  TO  BREVOOBT. — CLOSE  OF  1834. 


HE  "Tales  of  a  Traveller"  was  published  in 
London  on  the  25th  of  August,  in  two  octavo 
volumes,  and  at  a  price  fixed  by  Murray,  which 
occasioned  some  murmurs,  though  it  sold  rapidly.  In 
New  York  it  was  published  in  four  parts ;  the  first  part 
consisting  of  "  Strange  Stories,"  by  a  Nervous  Gen 
tleman,  August  24  ;  the  second  part,  "  Buckthorne 
and  his  Friends,"  September  7 ;  the  thirt  part,  "  The 
Italian  Banditti,"  September  25 ;  and  the  fourth,  "  The 
Money  Diggers,"  October  9 ;  this  last,  nearly  seven 
weeks  later  than  the  appearance  of  the  entire  volumes  in 
London. 

The  reputation  of  the  author  was  fully  kept  up  by  the 
work,  but  it  did  not  excite  so  much  surprise,  and  conse 
quently  obtain  as  much  popularity  with  the  public,  as 
his  previous  productions ;  "  wherein,"  says  Newton,  in 
a  letter  dated  October  7,  1824,  "you  will  only  find  the 
Jot  of  all  popular  writers  when  they  give  the  world  a 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING.  57 

work,  however  well  executed,  but  resembling  in  its  nature 
what  they  have  already  done ;  the  better,  the  worse  for 
them."  Newton  thought  he  never  did  anything  better 
than  "The  Bold  Dragoon;"  "the  dance  of  the  furniture 
is  capital  indeed;"  "'Buckthorne,'  too,"  he  says,  "and 
all  the  'Money  Digging'  part  told  amazingly  well,"  but, 
he  adds,  "the  'Young  Italian'  seemed  to  be  as  much  a 
favorite  as  any.  I  heard  Hallam  quoting  it  the  other 
day,  as  one  of  the  finest  specimens  of  your  writing." 

The  "Tales  of  a  Traveller,"  however,  which  in  his 
view  contained  some  of  the  best  things  he  had  ever  writ 
ten,  found  little  favor  with  some  of  the  British  critics; 
and  in  his  own  country,  which  felt  a  generous  pride  in 
his  extended  reputation,  it  had  hardly  proceeded  to  the 
publication  of  the  first  and  second  parts,  before  he  was 
told  there  were  some  "violent  demonstrations  of  hostility" 
on  the  part  of  the  press. 

A  leaf  in  his  note-book  gives  the  following  disclos 
ure  : — 

November  23d.—  Went  to  Galignani's— met  my  evil  genius  there,  who 
told  me  the  critics  were  attacking  me  like  the  devil  in  England— returned 
home  for  a  short  time,  but  could  not  remain— downhearted. 

The  letters  which  follow,  somewhat  varying  in  tone 
and  character,  will  now  be  in  place. 

The  first  is  addressed  to  the  eldest  son  of  his  brother 
Ebenezer,  who,  at  the  early  age  of  eighteen,  had  ventured 
into  print  in  some  contributions  to  a  little  periodical 


58  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

called  "  The  Fly,"  which  ran  through  five  numbers  and 
expired. 

• 

\To  Pierre  Paris  Irving.^ 

PARIS,  December  7,  1SS4. 
MY  DEAR  PIERRE  :— 

i  have  long  intended  to  answer  your  letter,  but  I  am  so  much  occupied 
at  one  time  and  interrupted  at  another,  that  I  am  compelled  to  be  a  very 
irregular  correspondent.  I  have  been  much  gratified  by  the  good  ac 
counts  I  hear  of  you  from  various  quarters,  and  have  been  pleased  with 
the  little  periodical  work  which  you  sent  me,  which  gave  proof  of  very 
promising  talent.  I  am  sorry,  however,  to  find  you  venturing  into  print 
at  so  early  an  age,  as  I  consider  it  extremely  disadvantageous.  1  would 
have  you  study  assiduously  for  several  years  to  come,  without  suffering 
yourself,  either  by  your  own  inclinations  or  the  suggestions  of  your 
friends,  to  be  persuaded  to  commit  the  merest  trifle  to  the  press.  Let 
me  impress  this  most  earnestly  upon  you.  I  speak  from  observation  and 
experience  as  to  the  pernicious  effects  of  early  publishing.  It  begets  an 
eagerness  to  reap  before  one  has  sown.  It  produces  too  often  an  indis 
position  to  further  study,  and  a  restless  craving  after  popular  applause. 
There  is  nothing  that  a  very  young  man  can  write  that  will  not  be  full 
of  faults  and  errors,  and  when  once  printed  they  remain  to  cause  him 
chagrin  and  self-reproach  in  his  after  years.  The  article  you  wrote  in 
the  periodical  work,  for  instance,  was  very  clever  as  to  composition,  and 
was  all  that  could  be  expected  from  a  writer  of  your  age  ;  but  then  you 
showed  yourself  ignorant  of  music,  though  you  undertook  to  satirize  a 
musical  performance;  at  a  riper  age  you  would  not  have  committed  this 
error.  The  composition  you  were  ridiculing  must  have  been  one  of  the 
sublime  productions  of  Handel  or  Haydn,  and  the  performer,  whose  ges 
ticulation  you  describe  so  extravagantly,  must  have  been  the  leader  of 
the  band,  who  by  look  and  sign  has  to  regulate  the  performance  of  the 
whole  band,  keep  them  all  in  time,  and  direct  their  style  of  playing,  ac 
cording  to  the  expression  of  the  music.  I  mention  this  only  to  let  you 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  59 

nee  how  readily  one  is  betrayed  into  error  by  writing,  or  rather  publish 
ing,  at  an  early  and  uninformed  age. 

I  hope,  however,  your  literary  vein  has  been  but  a  transient  one,  and 
that  you  are  preparing  to  establish  your  fortune  and  reputation  on  a  bet 
ter  basis  than  literary  success.  I  hope  none  of  those  whose  interests  and 
happiness  are  dear  to  me  will  be  induced  to  follow  my  footsteps,  and 
wander  into  the  seductive  but  treacherous  paths  of  literature.  There  ia 
no  life  more  precarious  in  its  profits  and  fallacious  in  its  enjoyments  than 
that  of  an  author.  I  speak  from  an  experience  which  may  be  considered 
a  favorable  and  prosperous  one  ;  and  I  would  earnestly  dissuade  all  those 
with  whom  my  voice  has  any  effect  from  trusting  their  fortunes  to  the 
pen.  For  my  part,  I  look  forward  with  impatience  to  the  time  when  a 
moderate  competency  will  place  me  above  the  necessity  of  writing  for  the 
press.  I  have  long  since  discovered  that  it  is  indeed  "vanity  and  vex 
ation  of  spirit." 

I  trust  you  will  take  a  wiser  and  surer  course.  If  you  have  entered 
upon  the  profession  of  the  law,  fit  yourself  for  the  exercise  of  it  by  pro 
found  and  extensive  study  ;  do  not  rest  satisfied  with  the  mere  techni 
calities  of  it ;  but  enter  widely  into  the  noble  studies  connected  with  it. 
Discipline  yourself  well ;  consider  what  you  have  learned  at  college  as 
merely  preparatory  to  a  wider  range  of  inquiry.  Make  yourself  an  excel 
lent  scholar,  and  store  your  mind  with  general,  yet  accurately  acquired 
and  well-digested  information.  Do  not  meddle  much  with  works  of  the 
imagination.  Your  imagination  needs  no  feeding  ;  indeed  it  is  a  mental 
quality  that  always  takes  care  of  itself  ;  and  is  too  apt  to  interfere  with 
the  others.  Strengthen  your  judgment ;  cultivate  habits  of  close  think 
ing  ;  and  in  all  your  reading  let  KNOWLEDGE  be  the  great  object.  I  feel 
myself  called  upon  to  urge  these  matters  ;  because,  from  some  passages 
in  your  letter,  it  would  seem  that  some  idle  writing  of  mine  had  caught 
your  fancy,  and  awakened  a  desire  to  follow  my  footsteps.  If  you  think 
my  path  has  been  a  flowery  one,  you  are  greatly  mistaken  ;  it  has  too 
often  lain  among  thorns  and  brambles,  and  been  darkened  by  care  and 
despondency.  Many  and  many  a  time  have  I  regretted  that  at  my  early 
outset  in  life  I  had  not  been  imperiously  bound  down  to  some  regular  and 


60 

useful  mode  of  life,  and  been  thoroughly  inured  to  habits  of  business  ; 
and  I  have  a  thousand  times  regretted  with  bitterness  that  ever  I  was 
led  away  by  my  imagination.  Believe  me,  the  man  who  earns  his  bread 
by  the  sweat  of  his  brow,  eats  of tener  a  sweeter  morsel,  however  coarse, 
than  he  who  procures  it  by  the  labor  of  his  brains. 

I  wish  to  impress  these  matters  upon  you,  because  you  are  the  eldest 
of  your  father's  family.  The  oldest  son  should  consider  himself  the  sec 
ond  father  of  the  family.  I  am  anxious  to  hear  of  your  making  a  valua 
ble  practical  man  of  business,  whatever  profession  or  mode  of  life  you 
adopt ;  and  that  by  your  example  and  your  attentions  you  may  guide  and 
instruct  your  brothers.  Our  country  is  a  glorious  one  for  merit  to  make 
its  way  in,  and  wherever  talents  are  properly  matured,  and  are  supported 
by  honorable  principles  and  amiable  manners,  they  are  sure  to  succeed. 
As  for  the  talk  about  modest  merit  being  neglected,  it  is  too  often  a  cant, 
by  which  indolent  and  irresolute  men  seek  to  lay  their  want  of  success  at 
the  door  of  the  public.  Modest  merit  is  too  apt  to  be  inactive  or  negli 
gent,  or  uninstructed  merit.  Well-matured  and  well-disciplined  talent  is 
always  sure  of  a  market,  provided  it  exerts  itself  ;  but  it  must  not  cower 
at  home  and  expect  to  be  sought  for.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  cant,  too, 
in  the  whining  about  the  success  of  forward  and  impudent  men,  while 
men  of  retiring  worth  are  passed  over  with  neglect.  But  it  happens  often 
that  those  forward  men  have  that  valuable  quality  of  promptness  and 
activity,  without  which  worth  is  a  mere  inoperative  property. 

A  barking  dog  is  often  more  useful  than  a  sleeping  lion.  Endeavor  to 
make  your  talents  convertible  to  ready  use,  prompt  for  the  occasion,  and 
adapted  to  the  ordinary  purposes  of  life  ;  cultivate  strength  rather  than 
gracefulness  ;  in  our  country  it  is  the  useful,  not  the  ornamental,  that  is 
in  demand. 

I  will  now  advert  to  another  thing  which  is  very  near  to  my  heart,  and 
a  constant  cause  of  solicitude.  There  is  a  large  family  connection  of  you 
growing  up.  I  wish  to  urge  the  cultivation  of  a  common  union  of  interest 
and  affection  among  you.  The  good  of  one  should  be  considered  the  good 
of  the  whole.  You  should  stand  by  each  other  in  word  and  deed  ;  "ir 
evil  report  and  in  good  report ; "  discarding  every  petty  spirit  of  jealousy; 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  61 

promoting  each  other's  happiness,  and  building  up  each  other's  prosperity. 
In  this  way  you  may  contribute  wonderfully  to  each  other's  respectability 
and  success  in  life.  Endeavor  also  to  make  the  name  you  bear  one  that 
shall  be  synonymous  with  honor,  sincerity,  and  perfect  faith.  Whatever 
be  your  dealings,  public  or  private,  let  no  temporary  advantage,  however 
flattering,  entice  you  away  from  the  strict  line  of  open  probity.  However 
great  the  immediate  sacrifice,  frank  and  open  truth  always  gains  in  the 

end 

Give  my  best  love  to  the  family,  and  believe  me  ever, 
Your  affectionate  uncle, 

WASHINGTON  IKVING. 

[To  C.  R.Leslie.] 

PARIS,  Rue  Richelieu,  No.  89,  December  8th,  1824. 

MY  DEAR  LESLIE  : — 

I  have  been  for  a  long  time  intending  to  write  to  you,  but  my  spirit  haa 
been  so  inert  as  not  to  be  able  to  summon  up  a  page  full  of  ideas.  How 
ever,  as  Brockedon  is  on  the  point  of  starting,  and  will  take  a  letter  free 
of  cost,  I  will  scrawl  a  line,  if  it  is  only  in  testimony  of  constant  recol 
lection. 

The  "Childe"  has  given  me  a  mere  inkling  of  his  northern  visit,  just 
enough  to  tantalize  curiosity.  I  wish  you  would  give  me  a  few  anecdotes 
on  the  subject.  You  must  have  had  a  rare  time ;  and  I  envy  above  every 
thing  your  residence  at  Abbotsford.  I  am  told,  the  Great  Unknown  was 
absolutely  besieged  by  a  legion  of  "panthers,"  that  you  really  surrounded 
him  ;  one  taking  a  point-blank  elevation  of  him  in  full  front,  another  in 
profile,  another  in  rear  ;  happy  to  sketch  a  likeness  whichever  side  pre 
sented. 

To  you  the  visit  must  have  been  peculiarly  interesting  and  advan 
tageous  ;  for  knowing  your  taste  and  turn  of  mind,  I  am  sure  you  would 
find  Scott  full  of  precious  matter,  and  would  derive  a  world  of  valuable 
hints  from  your  conversation  with  him.  I  long  to  hear  something  of  your 
visit  .it  Abbotsford,  and  would  give  anything  for  a  good  long  talk  with 
you  on  the  subject. 


62  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

Have  you  begun  your  new  picture  for  Lord  Egremont  ?  Brockedon 
speaks  with  great  emphasis  of  your  "  Autolycus."  I  do  not  know  whether 
you  have  done  anything  to  it  since  I  saw  it,  or  whether  he  means  the  pic 
ture  in  its  half-finished  state.  I  certainly  think  your  head  of  "Autoly 
cus"  one  of  your  happiest  efforts  of  character  and  expression.  But,  in 
fact,  you  have  now  but  to  dash  boldly  at  whatever  you  conceive ;  you  have 
the  power  of  achieving  whatever  you  attempt,  and  the  certainty  of  having 
whatever  you  achieve  appreciated  by  the  public. 

When  you  see  Newton,  remember  me  affectionately  to  him.  Let  me 
know  what  he  is  doing,  and  how  he  is  doing  it.  I  often  look  back  with 
fondness  and  regret  on  the  times  we  lived  together  in  London,  in  a  de 
lightful  community  of  thought  and  feeling  ;  struggling  our  way  onward 
in  the  world,  but  cheering  and  encouraging  each  other.  I  find  nothing 
to  supply  the  place  of  that  heartfelt  fellowship.  I  trust  that  you  and 
Newton  have  a  long  career  of  increasing  success  and  popularity  before 
you.  Of  my  own  fate  I  sometimes  feel  a  doubt.  I  am  isolated  in  Eng 
lish  literature,  without  any  of  the  usual  aids  and  influences  by  which  an 
author's  popularity  is  maintained  and  promoted.  I  have  no  literary  co 
terie  to  cry  me  up ;  no  partial  reviewer  to  pat  me  on  the  back ;  the  very 
review  of  my  publisher  is  hostile  to  everything  American.  I  have  noth 
ing  to  depend  on  but  the  justice  and  courtesy  of  the  public,  and  how  long 
the  public  may  continue  to  favor  the  writings  of  a  stranger,  or  how  soon 
it  may  be  prejudiced  by  the  scribblers  of  the  press,  is  with  me  a  matter  of 
extreme  uncertainty.  I  have  one  proud  reflection,  however,  to  sustain  my 
self  with — that  I  have  never  in  any  way  sought  to  sue  the  praises  nor  dep 
recate  the  censures  of  reviewers,  but  have  left  my  works  to  rise  or  fall  by 
their  own  deserts.  If  the  public  will  keep  with  me  a  little  longer,  until 
I  can  secure  a  bare  competency,  I  feel  as  if  I  shall  be  disposed  to  throw  by 
the  pen,  or  only  to  use  it  as  a  mere  recreation.  Do  write  to  me  soon.  I 
long  to  hear  from  you.  How  often  do  I  miss  you  in  moments  when  I  feel 
cast  down  and  out  of  heart ;  and  how  often  at  times  when  some  of  the 
odd  scenes  of  life  present  themselves,  which  we  used  to  enjoy  so  heartily 
together. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  63 

Three  days  later  he  wrote  as  follows : — 

[To  Henry  Brevoort.] 

PARIS,  Rue  Richelieu,  No.  89,  December  11, 1824. 

.  .  .  .  I  cannot  tell  you  what  pleasure  I  have  received  from  long 
chats  with  Lynch*  about  old  times  and  old  associates.  His  animated 
and  descriptive  manner  has  put  all  New  York  before  me,  and  made  me 
long  to  be  once  more  there.  I  do  not  know  whether  it  be  the  force  of 
early  impressions  and  associations,  or  whether  it  be  really  well-founded, 
but  there  is  a  charm  about  that  little  spot  of  earth  ;  that  baautif  ul  city 
and  its  environs,  that  has  a  perfect  spell  over  my  imagination.  The  bay, 
the  rivers  and  their  wild  and  woody  shores,  the  haunts  of  my  boyhood, 
both  on  land  and  water,  absolutely  have  a  witchery  over  my  mind.  I 
thank  God  for  my  having  been  born  in  so  beautiful  a  place  among  such 
beautiful  scenery ;  I  am  convinced  I  owe  a  vast  deal  of  what  is  good  and 
pleasant  in  my  nature  to  the  circumstance. 

I  feel  continually  indebted  to  your  kindness  for  the  interest  you  have 
taken  in  my  affairs,  and  in  the  success  of  my  works  in  America.  I  begin 
to  feel  extremely  anxious  to  secure  a  little  income  from  my  literary  prop 
erty,  that  shall  put  me  beyond  the  danger  of  recurring  penury ;  and  shall 
render  me  independent  of  the  necessity  of  laboring  for  the  press.  I 
should  like  to  write  occasionally  for  my  amusement,  and  to  have  the 
power  of  throwing  my  writings  either  into  my  portfolio,  or  into  the  fire. 
I  enjoy  the  first  conception  and  first  sketchings  down  of  my  ideas,  but 
the  correcting  and  preparing  them  for  the  press  is  irksome,  and  publish^ 
ing  is  detestable. 

My  last  work  has  a  good  run  in  England,  and  has  been  extremely  well 
spoken  of  by  some  of  the  worthies  of  literature,  though  it  has  met  with 
some  handling  from  the  press.  The  fact  is,  I  have  kept  myself  so  aloof 
from  all  clanship  in  literature  that  I  have  no  allies  among  the  scribblers 

*  Dominick  Lynch  of  New  York. 


64  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

for  the  periodical  press  ;  and  some  of  them  have  taken  a  pique  agains* 
me  for  having  treated  them  a  little  cavalierly  in  my  writings.  However 
as  I  do  not  read  criticism,  good  or  bad,  I  am  out  of  the  reach  of  attack. 
If  my  writings  are  worth  anything,  they  will  outlive  temporary  criticism ; 
if  not,  they  are  not  worth  caring  about.  Some  parts  of  my  last  work 
were  written  rather  hastily  ;  yet  I  am  convinced  that  a  great  part  of  it 
was  written  in  a  free  and  happier  vein  than  almost  any  of  my  former 
writings I  fancy  much  of  what  I  value  myself  upon  in  writ 
ing,  escapes  the  observation  of  the  great  mass  of  my  readers,  who  are 
intent  more  upon  the  story  than  the  way  in  which  it  is  told.  For  my 
part,  I  consider  a  story  merely  as  a  frame  on  which  to  stretch  my  mate 
rials.  It  is  the  play  of  thought,  and  sentiment,  and  language  ;  the 
weaving  in  of  characters,  lightly,  yet  expressively  delineated  ;  the  famil 
iar  and  faithful  exhibition  of  scenes  in  common  life  ;  and  the  half-con 
cealed  vein  of  humor  that  is  often  playing  through  the  whole, — these  are 
among  what  I  aim  at,  and  upon  which  I  felicitate  myself  in  proportion  as 
I  think  I  succeed.  I  have  preferred  adopting  the  mode  of  sketches  and 
short  tales  rather  than  long  works,  because  I  choose  to  take  a  line  of 
writing  peculiar  to  myself,  rather  than  fall  into  the  manner  or  school  of 
any  other  writer  ;  and  there  is  a  constant  activity  of  thought  and  a  nicety 
of  execution  required  in  writings  of  the  kind,  more  than  the  world  ap 
pears  to  imagine.  It  is  comparatively  easy  to  swell  a  story  to  any  size 
when  you  have  once  the  scheme  and  the  characters  in  your  mind;  the 
mere  interest  of  the  story,  too,  carries  the  reader  on  through  pages  and 
pages  of  careless  writing,  and  the  author  may  often  be  dull  for  half  a 
volume  at  a  time,  if  he  has  some  striking  scene  at  the  end  of  it  ;  but  in 
these  shorter  writings,  every  page  must  have  its  merit.  The  author 
must  be  continually  piquant ;  woe  to  him  if  he  makes  an  awkward  sen 
tence  or  writes  a  stupid  page ;  the  critics  are  sure  to  pounce  upon  it.  Yet 
if  he  succeed,  the  very  variety  and  piquancy  of  his  writings — nay,  their 
very  brevity,  make  them  frequently  recurred  to,  and  when  the  mere  in 
terest  of  the  story  is  exhausted,  he  begins  to  get  credit  for  his  touches  of 
pathos  or  humor  ;  his  points  of  wit  or  turns  of  language.  I  give  these  as 
come  of  the  reasons  that  have  induced  me  to  keep  on  thus  far  in  the  way 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  65 

I  had  opened  for  myself  ;  because  I  find  by  recent  letters  from  E.  I.  that 
you  are  joining  in  the  oft-repeated  advice  that  I  should  write  a  novel.  I 
believe  the  works  that  I  have  written  will  be  oftener  re-read  than  any 
novel  of  the  size  that  I  could  have  written.  It  is  true  other  writers  have 
crowded  into  the  same  branch  of  literature,  and  I  now  begin  to  find  my 
self  elbowed  by  men  who  have  followed  my  footsteps  ;  but  at  at  any  rate 
I  have  had  the  merit  of  adopting  a  line  for  myself,  instead  of  following 
others. 

Three  days  after  the  date  of  this  letter,  his  diary  has 
this  record  : 

"  December  14^A.  —  Received  letter  from  New  York, 
signed  'a  friend,'  inclosing  scurrilous  newspaper  tirade 
against  me."  Repetitions  of  such  "  friendship  "  left  no 
doubt  of  its  malignant  origin,  and  the  ill-will  displayed 
by  its  continuance,  combined  with  the  services  of  his 
"  evil  genius  "  at  Galignani's,  to  which  allusion  has  been 
already  made,  will  help  to  interpret  the  extracts  which 
follow  from  his  diary,  closing  his  record  of  the  year. 

December  28th. — Returned  home — find  letter  to  Peter  from  Beasley,  in 
closing  American  paper  [no  doubt  containing  another  attack],  29#*. — A 
restless,  sleepless  night,  full  of  uncomfortable  thoughts — woke  before 
four — studied  Spanish  after  breakfast — took  lesson  from  eleven  to  twelve 
— went  to  Galignani's — read  a  very  favorable  critique  on  French  transla 
tion  of  "  Tales  of  a  Traveller  " — two  French  translations  have  appeared 
— called  at  Mr.  West's  [William  E.  West,  the  American  artist] — Mrs. 
Patterson  sitting  for  her  picture — Lynch  there — stayed  till  half-past 
three — walked  in  Palais  Royal — returned  home — dined  with  Peter — 
studied  Spanish  in  the  evening — a  triste  day,  though  laughed  a  good  deal 
both  at  West's  and  at  dinner — a  merry  head  may  sometimes  go  with  a 

VOL.  II. — 5 


66  LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING. 

heavy  heart.  30th. — Kather  low  in  spirits — but  frequent  gleams  of  reso 
lution  and  self-promises  of  better  things.  31st. — Retire  to  bed  at  eleven 
— this  has  been  a  dismal  day  of  depression,  and  closes  a  year,  part  of 
which  has  been  full  of  sanguine  hope,  of  social  enjoyment,  peace  of  mind, 
and  health  of  body  ;  and  the  latter  part  saddened  by  disappointments 
and  distrust  of  the  world  and  of  myself  ;  by  sleepless  nights  and  joyless 
days.  May  the  coming  year  prove  more  thoroughly  propitious  I 


CHAPTEE  V. 

LETTER  TO  PIERRE  PARIS  IRVING. — OVERTURES  FOR  A  LIFE  OF  WASHINGTON.— 
UNABLE  TO  APPLY  HIMSELF. — PAULDING'S  REBUKE. — DETERMINES  TO  GO 
TO  WORK. — LEAVES  PARIS  WITH  PETER  FOR  BORDEAUX. — THE  VINTAGE. — 
"AMERICAN  ESSAYS." — AN  ILL-BODING  FAILURE. — EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY. — 
CLOSE  OF  1835. 

GIVE  the  following  letter  from  a  copy  placed 
in  my  hands  by  the  party  to  whom  it  is  ad 
dressed.  The  reader  will  remember  that  in  a 
previous  letter,  to  the  same  juvenile  correspondent,  his 
uncle  had  rather  rebuked  his  premature  literary  out 
break.  In  this  communication  he  touches,  among  other 
things,  on  tlr  subject  of  languages. 


[To  Pierre  Paris  Irving.] 

PARIS,  March  29, 1825. 
MY  DEAR  PIERRE  : — 

I  am  very  much  gratified  by  your  letter  ;  it  is  full  of  good  sense  and 
good  feeling.  You  have  taken  the  observations  of  my  former  letter,  how 
ever,  much  too  strongly,  if  you  have  suffered  them  to  produce  anything 
like  mortification.  They  were  rather  meant  to  warn  you  for  the  future, 
not  to  censure  you  for  the  past.  I  had  felt  in  my  own  case  how  insensibly 
a  young  man  gets  beguiled  away  by  the  imagination,  and  wanders  from 

a? 


68  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

ihe  safe  beaten  path  of  life,  to  lose  himself  in  the  mazes  of  literature. 
Scarcely  any  author  ever  set  forth  with  the  intention  or  surmise  of  be 
coming  such  ;  he  becomes  so  by  degrees  ;  and  I  have  seen  enough  of 
literary  life  to  warn  all  of  those  who  are  dear  to  me,  should  I  see  any 
danger  of  their  straying  into  it 

I  am  glad  you  do  not  relinquish  your  studies.  On  the  contrary,  task 

yourself  to  become  a  valuable  man  at  all  points When  you 

have  leisure,  do  not  waste  it  in  idle  society  ;  by  idle,  I  mean  what  is 
termed  fashionable  society.  Of  all  places  I  was  ever  in,  New  York  is  one 
where  more  time  is  wasted  at  that  precious  period  of  life  when  the  seeds 
of  knowledge  are  to  be  sown,  and  the  habits  formed  that  are  to  determine 
the  character  and  fortunes  of  after  life.  I  speak  this  from  sad  experience. 
How  many  an  hour  of  hard  labor  and  hard  study  have  I  had  to  subject 
myself  to,  to  atone  in  a  slight  degree  for  the  hours  which  I  suffered  so 
ciety  to  cheat  me  out  of.  Young  people  enter  into  society  in  America  at 
an  age  that  they  are  cooped  up  in  schools  in  Europe 

I  suppose  you  know  something  of  modern  languages.  French  is  the 
great  medium  of  general  conversation  throughout  the  world,  and  should 
be  completely  mastered.  It  is  one  of  the  most  difficult,  unless  taken  up 
at  an  early  age,  on  account  of  the  nicety  of  its  sounds  or  rather  half- 
sounds  ;  all  other  languages  have  a  fullness  of  tone  that  the  ear  and  the 
tongue  catch  pretty  soon  ;  but  the  French,  with  its  semi-tones,  is  barbar 
ous  on  an  unpracticed  tongue.  It  is  the  most  limited,  too,  of  modern 
languages,  abounding  in  constructions  and  terms  of  expression  and  idio- 
matical  phrases,  to  supply  the  defect  of  its  paucity  of  words  ;  these  make 
it  a  barren  language  in  the  mouth  of  any  one  who  is  not  well  acquainted 
with  its  idioms,  and  who  has  not  studied  it  well.  But  as  the  course  of 
events  has  made  it  a  universal  language,  in  preference  to  others  which 
are  more  sonorous  and  copious,  it  is  necessary  to  become  well  acquainted 
with  it.  The  Spanish  language,  on  the  contrary,  is  full  of  power,  mag 
nificence,  and  melody.  To  my  taste  it  excels  the  Italian  in  variety  and 
expression.  It  has  twice  the  quantity  of  words  that  the  French  has. 
I  do  not  know  anything  that  delights  me  more  than  the  old  Spanish 
literature.  You  will  find  some  splendid  histories  in  the  language,  and 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  69 

then  its  poetry  is  full  of  animation,  pathos,  humor,  beauty,  sublimity. 
The  old  literature  of  Spain  partakes  of  the  character  of  its  history  and  its 
people  ;  there  is  an  oriental  splendor  about  it.  The  mixture  of  Arabic 
fervor,  magnificence,  and  romance,  with  old  Castilian  pride  and  punctilio ; 
the  chivalrous  heroism  ;  the  immaculate  virtue  ;  the  sublimated  notions 
of  honor  and  courtesy,  all  contrast  finely  with  the  sensual  amours,  the 
self-indulgences,  the  unprincipled  and  crafty  intrigues,  which  so  often 
form  the  groundwork  of  Italian  story. 

With  all  the  charms  of  Italian  literature,  the  greater  part  of  its  belles- 
lettres  is  unfit  for  youthful  reading,  particularly  for  female  reading  ;  it 
depicts  a  most  immoral  and  despicable  state  of  society  ;  it  breathes  prof 
ligacy.  The  Italian  language  is  rich  in  historical  works.  As  far  as  I 
can  judge  from  my  own  reading,  the  literatures  the  most  free  from  licen 
tiousness  in  morals  are  the  Spanish  and  the  German.  The  Spanish,  be 
cause  the  greater  part  was  written  at  a  time  when  romantic  notions  pre 
vailed  in  Spain  of  manly  honor  and  female  virtue  ;  and  the  German,  be 
cause  almost  all  its  belles-lettres  have  been  produced  within  the  last  fifty 
years  under  the  restraints  of  modern  decency.  I  don't  know  any  drama 
tists  who  have  written  so  much,  and  whose  writings  are  so  free  from  any 
thing  that  would  call  up  a  blush  on  the  most  sensitive  cheek,  as  old  Cal- 
deron  among  the  Spaniards  and  Schiller  among  the  Germans,  and  I  do 
not  know  any  that  have  shown  a  freer  scope  of  imagination  and  finer  sal 
lies  of  language. 

But  I  am  running  away  into  a  kind  of  dissertation,  when  I  only  meant 

to  make  an  incidental  remark  on  the  subject  of  languages I 

again  repeat,  devote  as  much  of  your  time  as  you  can  spare  from  busi 
ness  and  healthful  exercise,  to  the  storing  your  mind  with  valuable  in 
formation,  such  as  will  make  you  a  useful  man  and  an  important  member 
of  a  busy  community.  Do  not  be  impatient  to  enter  into  society  and 
make  a  figure  in  drawing-rooms.  A  man  can  seldom  figure  to  any  pur 
pose  until  he  has  acquired  the  knowledge  and  experience  of  years  ;  and 
as  to  the  trifling  distinction  that  a  clever  young  man  sometimes  gains,  it 
is  transient  ;  often  injurious  to  himself,  and  never  conducive  to  any  val 
uable  and  permanent  result. 


70  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

In  July  of  this  year,  Mr.  Irving,  still  at  Paris,  received 
overtures  from  Constable  for  a  life  of  Washington,  while 
at  the  same  time  Murray  hoped  seriously  that  he  had  not 
been  idle,  and  that  he  would  allow  him  to  look  for  a  com 
munication  from  him  "  on  the  subject  of  an  original 
work,"  which  he  was  "happy  to  say  the  public  would 
be  much  delighted  to  receive."  But  he  was  not  at  all 
anxious  to  undertake  anything  for  publication  at  this 
period  of  his  career.  He  had  in  fact  become  distrustful 
of  the  continuance  of  public  favor,  and  under  the  dis 
couragement  of  some  ill-natured  flings  from  the  American 
press,  and  the  persevering  malevolence  of  the  anony 
mous  individual,  who  was  assiduous  in  forwarding  them, 
he  had  lost  heart  in  his  vocation,  and  lacked  the  needed 
stimulus  to  exertion.  His  old  friend  and  literary  associ 
ate,  to  whom  he  had  given  expression  to  his  doubts  and 
misgivings,  rebukes  the  cloudy  humor  in  the  following 
characteristic  fashion. 

It  gives  me  some  little  dissatisfaction  to  perceive  [writes  Paulding, 
September  3]  that  you  suffer  yourself  to  be  influenced  in  the  pursuit  of 
a  great  object  by  the  squibs  and  crackers  of  criticism.  For  my  part  I 
have  not,  like  you,  been  sufficiently  praised  to  feel  much  the  want  of  it ; 
I  am  a  hardened  sinner,  and  if  I  know  myself,  care  very  little  about  the 
decisions  of  tribunals  whose  judgments  can  eventually  have  little  influ 
ence  on  the  opinions  of  posterity.  Whatever  little  rubs  of  this  kind 
you  may  receive,  place  them  to  the  account  of  the  spleen  and  envy  of  un-. 
successful  rivals,  who  not  being  able  to  raise  themselves  to  you,  seek  to 
bring  you  down  to  them.  As  to  the  voice  of  your  own  country,  it  is  en 
tirely  in  your  favor.  She  is  proud  of  you,  and  the  most  obscure  recesses 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  71 

of  the  land,  even  old  "Sleepy  Hollow,"  are  becoming  almost  classical,  in 
consequence  of  the  notice  you  have  taken  of  them.  Old  Knickerbocker 
will  last  forever,  as  the  great  popular  work  of  this  country,  quoted  by 
wags  for  its  humor,  and  referred  to  by  historians  for  its  accuracy.  You 
know  I  am  rather  a  cynic  than  a  flatterer,  and  you  ought  to  know  that 
of  all  men  I  would  not  flatter  you.  Your  works  continue  to  be  regularly 
called  for  and  sold,  now  that  the  moment  of  novelty  is  passed,  and  this 
is  the  best  indication  of  a  substantial  reputation. 

But  prior  to  the  date  of  this  extract,  Washington  was 
beginning  once  more  to  "  feel  power  and  confidence  to 
write,"  and  had  made  up  his  "  mind  to  go  to  work."  "  I 
think  we  must  manage  to  see  the  vintage  at  Bordeaux," 
he  writes  to  Peter  at  Havre,  August  26,  "  though  for  the 
present  I  have  given  up  the  idea  of  my  Spanish  tour,  and 
am  determined  not  to  make  it  until  I  have  wielded  the  pen 
a  little,  and  at  least  earned  the  cost  of  the  expedition." 

On  the  22d  of  September,  the  two  brothers  left  Paris, 
and  on  the  30th  reached  Bordeaux,  where,  under  the 
auspices  of  their  hospitable  friend,  Mr.  Guestier  of  Cha 
teau  Margaux,  they  saw  the  vintage. 

I  close  the  history  of  this  year  with  a  few  extracts  from 
his  diary  while  in  this  city,  where  he  remained  four 
months. 

October  31st. — Dined  at  Mr.  Johnston's  with  the  Guestiers — before  din 
ner,  Mr.  Guestier  mentioned  the  contents  of  a  letter  from  Beasley  from 
London,  containing  the  disastrous  intelligence  of  the  failure  of  Samuel 
Williams — passed  a  restless  night — my  mind  haunted  by  apprehensions 
of  evil.  [He  feared  that  his  own  fortunes  and  the  fortunes  of  relatives 
were  entangled  in  this  calamity.] 


72  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

November  1st. — Tried  to  write  this  morning,  but  the  news  of  Mr.  Wil 
liams'  failure  had  incapacitated  tie — in  evening  tolerably  tranquil  in 
mind,  though  full  of  doubts. 

November  24.th. — In  bed  this  morning  thought  of  a  plan  of  a  miscel 
lany — talked  over  the  name  at  breakfast  with  Peter — the  plan  developed 
in  the  progress  of  conversation — both  felt  cheered  and  animated  by  it — 
write  late  at  night  on  Essays — go  to  bed  after  twelve — some  time  before 
I  can  get  to  sleep— make  notes,  etc. 

November  25th. — Awoke  early — made  notes  for  Essays — Mem. :  last 
night  dreamt  of  being  in  a  large  old  house — found  it  giving  way  above — 
escaped  and  saw  it  falling  to  ruins— it  took  fire — thought  all  my  property 
and  especially  my  manuscripts  were  in  it — rushed  toward  the  house  ex 
claiming,  I  am  now  not  worth  a  sixpence — found  one  room  of  the  house 
uninjured,  and  my  brother,  E.  I.,  in  it  arranging  papers,  wiping  books, 
etc. — told  me  that  he  had  just  managed  to  save  everything  that  be 
longed  to  us  by  putting  them  into  this  one  room  that  remained  un 
injured. 

This  dream  was  doubtless  occasioned  by  my  letter  to  E.  I.  written  yes 
terday,  and  requesting  him  in  case  of  difficulty  to  place  my  literary  prop 
erty,  etc.,  in  the  hands  of  Brevoort,  or  J.  T.  I.  [John  T.  Irving.] 

November  26th. — Awoke  early — mind  busy — made  notes  in  memoran 
dum  book— after  breakfast  wrote  at  my  Essay — naval  remarks — walked 
out  at  three  o'clock — called  on  Mr.  Strobel,  and  looked  for  lodgings — 
dined  at  table-d'hote — napped — went  to  Cafe — read  newspapers — took  cof 
fee—returned  home  and  wrote  until  past  twelve  o'clock — ever  since  I  have 
resumed  my  pen,  my  spirits  have  revived  and  my  mind  is  rising  into 
tone. 

November  27th. — Did  not  get  asleep  until  near  two — woke  at  four — 
made  notes  for  "  American  Essays  " — after  breakfast  wrote  a  little. 

November  28th. — Write  this  morning  at  "  Essay  on  Manners  " — paid  off 
bill  at  Hotol  de  France,  and  moved  to  lodgings  No.  24  Rue  Roland — 
second  floor — two  rooms  at  fifty  francs  a  month. 

November 2Qth. — Slept  well  last  night — write  at  the  "American  Es 
says." 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  73 

November  30th. — Slept  well — mind  tranquil — write  this  morning  at 
Essay  on  treatment  of  strangers  in  America. 

December  1st. — Write  a  little  at  Essays — subject,  national  prejudices. 

December  3d. — A  night  of  broken  sleep — though  not  of  uneasy  thoughts 
— write  at  Essays  till  one. 

December  Qth. — A  night  of  broken  sleep  and  uneasy  thoughts — dreamt 
I  was  at  Welles,  who  was  making  out  an  account — nervous  in  the  morn 
ing  but  excitable — sci'ibbled  a  little  on  Essays — subject,  theatres — made 
minutes  for  Essay  on  effect  of  natural  scenery  on  character — get  extremely 
excited — Mr.  Guestier  came  in  and  sat  some  little  while— found  after 
wards  that  I  could  not  write. 

December  IQth. — Full  of  excitement,  and  anxious  to  sketch  "  Essay  on 
American  Scenery,"  but  harassed  by  noises  in  the  house,  until  I  had  to 
go  out  in  despair,  and  write  in  Mr.  Guestier's  library. 

December  25th.— Christmas —  ....  For  some  time  past,  indeed 
ever  since  I  have  resumed  my  pen,  my  mind  has  been  tranquil.  I  sleep 
better  and  feel  pleasanter. 

Saturday,  December  31st. — Write  letters — walk  out— fine  cool  weather 
— all  the  world  buying  bonbons — dined  at  home — afterwards  walked  out 
with  Mr.  Johnston,  accompanying  him  through  Boutiques  of  bonbons — 
evening  at  Mrs  Johnston's— play  chess — in  the  night,  military  music  in 
the  street — serenading  the  commandant,  who  Jives  opposite.  So  closes  the 
year — tranquil  in  mind,  though  doubtful  of  fortune  and  full  of  uncertain 
ties — a  year  very  little  of  which  I  would  willingly  live  over  again,  though 
some  parts  have  been  tolerably  pleasant 


CHAPTER  VI. 

LETTER  TO  ALEXANDER  H.  EVERETT. — A  TRANSLATION  OF  NAVARRETE  SUG 
GESTED  TO  IIIM  BY  MR.  EVERETT. — LETTER  THEREUPON. —ARRIVAL  AT  MAD 
RID. — THE  AMERICAN  CONSUL,  O.  RICH. — DETERMINES  UPON  A  REGULAR  LIFE 
OF  COLUMBUS. — LITERARY  ACTIVITY. — DIVERTED  FROM  "  COLUMBUS  "  TO 
"CONQUEST  OF  GRANADA." — LIEUTENANT  ALEXANDER  SLIDELL. — CLOSE  OF 
1826. — PASSAGES  FROM  LETTER  TO  P.  M.  IRVING. — LETTER  TO  BHEVOORT. 
— COOPER. — HALLECK. — BRYANT. — PAULDING. — OFFERS  "  COLUMBUS  "  TO 
MURRAY. — LONGFELLOW. — WILKIE. — CLOSE  OF  THE  YEAR  1827. 

T  was  during  this  period,  while  busying  himself 
on  these  "American  Essays,"  none  of  which 
have  ever  appeared  in  print  or  been  preserved, 
that  he  addressed  a  letter  to  Mr.  Alexander  H.  Everett, 
Minister  Plenipotentiary  of  the  United  States  at  Madrid, 
whom  he  had  met  in  Paris  in  the  summer  of  1825,  in 
which  he  says : — 

You  mentioned  last  summer  that  should  you  come  to  Spain,  you 
would  attach  me  to  the  embassy,  by  way  of  a  protection.  Now  being  so 
near  Spain,  and  having  a  strong  inclination  to  visit  it,  I  may  be  induced 
to  do  so  in  the  course  of  the  spring,  should  circumstances  permit.  This 
will  depend  entirely  upon  letters  which  I  am  waiting  here  to  receive,  and 
which  will  determine  my  movements.  Could  I  come  into  Spain  at  once  I 
would  do  so,  but  it  is  out  of  my  power.  As  I  may  enter  Spain  by  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  and  make  a  tour  before  visiting  Madrid,  it  would  be 

74 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IB  VINO.  75 

perhaps  an  advantage  and  protection  to  me  in  the  present  state  of  the 
country,  to  be  able  at  any  time  to  announce  myself  as  attached  to  the  em 
bassy.  May  I  therefore  consider  myself  as  an  attache,  and  can  I  be  so 
attached  while  at  a  distance,  and  before  coming  to  Madrid  ?  I  am  quite 
ignorant  whether  there  are  any  forms  necessary,  or  whether  it  does  not 
rest  with  the  minister  by  his  mere  word,  expressed  or  written,  to  attach 
whom  he  pleases  to  his  mission.  At  any  rate,  as  this  is  a  mere  matter  of 
travelling  accommodation,  I  do  not  wish  any  trouble  to  be  taken  about  it, 
nor  that  it  should  cause  any  departure  from  common  usage  and  etiquette. 
So,  as  I  said  before,  if  there  is  the  least  shadow  of  objection,  do  not  hesi 
tate  to  say  so,  and  there  let  the  matter  end. 

On  the  30th  of  January  he  received  a  reply  from  Mr. 
Everett,  attaching  him  to  the  Legation,  inclosing  pass 
port,  and  proposing  his  translating  "  Navarre te's  Voy 
ages  of  Columbus,"  which  were  about  to  appear,  sug 
gesting  also  the  probability  of  his  receiving  Xl,500  or 
.£1,000  for  it.  The  allusion  to  Murray  at  the  close  of  the 
letter  I  now  give,  will  be  understood  when  the  reader  is 
told  that  Murray  was  about  setting  up  a  newspaper,  for 
which,  as  Mr.  Irving  was  informed  by  one  of  his  corre 
spondents,  he  had  already  deposited  £40,000  in  the  Bank 
of  England. 

[To  Alexander  H.  Everett,  U.  S.  Minister  at  Madrid.] 

BORDEAUX,  January  81, 1826. 
MY  DEAR  SIR  : — 

I  feel  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  passport  you  have  been  so 
prompt  in  forwarding  to  me,  and  am  highly  gratified  in  being  attached 
to  a  legation  that  is  so  ably  and  creditably  filled.  I  must  return  you  my 
thanks  also  for  the  literary  undertaking  you  have  suggested  to  me,  Th6 


76  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

very  idea  of  it  animates  me  ;  it  is  just  the  kind  of  employment  I  would 
wish  at  present  for  my  spare  hours.  I  will  thank  you,  therefore,  to  se 
cure  it  for  me.  I  shall  write  immediately  to  London  to  have  proposi 
tions  made  to  Murray,  and,  in  case  he  does  not  accept  them,  to  some 
other  eminent  publisher.  I  doubt  whether  I  shall  be  able  to  get  as  much 
as  you  suppose  for  a  translation,  as  there  is  always  a  chance  for  competi 
tion  and  piracy  ;  but,  be  that  as  it  may,  there  is  something  in  the  job 
itself  that  interests  and  pleases  me,  and  will  assist  to  compensate  me  for 
my  trouble.  I  feel  the  more  emboldened  to  take  hold  of  the  thing  from 
my  brother's  having  promised  to  assist  me  in  it,  so  as  to  enable  me  to 
execute  it  speedily  and  yet  not  negligently,  and  at  the  same  time  without 
suffering  it  to  interfere  entirely  with  other  pursuits.  My  brother  is  but 
slightly  acquainted  with  the  Spanish  language,  sufficiently,  however,  to 
render  me  great  service  occasionally,  and  he  will  improve  in  the  language 
if  he  exercises  it.  We  shall  leave  this  for  Madrid  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  shall  come  on  by  diligence. 

.  .  .  .  You  will  perceive  by  the  papers  the  failure  of  Constable  and 
Co.,  at  Edinburgh,  and  Hurst,  Robinson  and  Co.,  at  London.  These  are 
severe  shocks  in  the  trading  world  of  literature.  Pray  heaven  Murray  may 
stand  unmoved  and  not  go  into  the  "  Gazette,"  instead  of  publishing  one. 

The  invocation  with  which  this  letter  concludes,  was 
well-nigh  prophetic.  A  year  later,  Murray  explains  some 
remissness  to  Mr.  Irving  as  follows : — 

"  One  cause  of  my  not  writing  to  you  during  one  whole 

year  was  my  '  entanglement,'  as  Lady  G says,  with 

a  newspaper,  which  absorbed  my  money,  and  distracted 
and  depressed  my  mind ;  but  I  have  cut  the  knot  of  evil, 
which  I  could  not  remedy,  and  am  now,  '  by  the  blessing 
of  God,'  again  returned  '  to  reason  and  the  shop.'  " 

Three  days  after  the  date  of  this  letter  to  Mr,  Everett, 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  77 

Mr.  Irving  finished  an  "  Essay  on  the  Education  of 
Youth,"  on  which  he  was  engaged  at  the  time,  and 
which,  like  the  others  recorded  in  his  diary,  was  "  water 
spilt  upon  the  ground,"  and  soon  after  he  set  off  with  his 
brother  for  Madrid,  which  he  reached  about  the  middle 
of  February. 

Two  days  after  his  arrival  he  had  hired  apartments 
under  the  roof  of  the  American  consul,  O.  Rich,  Esq.,  to 
use  the  language  of  his  preface  to  "  Columbus,"  "  one  of 
the  most  indefatigable  bibliographers  in  Europe,  who, 
for  several  years,  had  made  particular  researches  after 
every  document  relative  to  the  early  history  of  America. 
In  his  extensive  and  curious  library,"  continues  the  pref 
ace,  "  I  found  one  of  the  best  collections  extant  of  Span 
ish  colonial  history,  containing  many  documents  for 
which  I  might  search  elsewhere  in  vain."  Such  was  his 
situation  when,  soon  after  his  arrival,  the  publication  of 
M.  Navarrete  made  its  appearance,  which  he  found,  to 
quote  again  his  own  words,  "  to  contain  many  documents 
hitherto  unknown,  which  threw  additional  light  on  the 
discovery  of  the  New  World ; "  but  "  the  whole  "  pre 
senting  "  rather  a  mass  of  rich  materials  for  history  than 
a  history  itself.  And,  invaluable  as  such  stores  "  might 
be  "  to  the  laborious  inquirer,"  the  sight  of  "  discon 
nected  papers  and  official  documents  "  had  the  effect  to 
make  him  hesitate  in  his  intended  translation  ;  and  on 
the  25th  of  the  following  month,  I  find  by  his  note-book 
that  he  had  abandoned  the  idea,  and  was  already  engaged 


78  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

in  making  researches,  examining  manuscripts,  and  taking 
notes  for  a  regular  life,  which  he  trusted  would  be  more 
acceptable  to  others,  as  it  was  undoubtedly  a  more  satis 
factory  occupation  to  himself. 

From  this  date  until  the  1st  of  September,  laying 
aside  his  "American  Essays,"  which  he  never  resumed, 
he  labored  unremittingly  at  his  task,  with  the  exception 
of  an  excursion  of  a  few  days  in  August  to  Segovia. 
Sometimes  he  would  write  all  day  and  until  twelve  at 
night ;  in  one  instance  his  note-book  shows  him  to  have 
written  from  five  in  the  morning  until  eight  at  night, 
stopping  only  for  meals. 

It  was  during  this  interval  of  intense  literary  activity 
that,  in  passing  through  Madrid  in  a  youthful  tour  in 
Europe,  the  writer  of  the  present  memoir  came  unex 
pectedly  upon  Mr.  Irving,  whom  he  had  supposed  to  be 
still  in  France.  I  found  him  in  the  midst  of  books  and 
manuscripts,  full  of  the  subject  on  which  he  was  engaged, 
and  in  excellent  spirits,  though  once,  in  a  long  walk 
which  we  took  together  on  the  Prado,  he  adverted  with 
deep  feeling  to  the  cloud  which  had  been  thrown  over 
him  by  the  persevering  malignity  with  which  all  sort  of 
disagreeable  things  had  been  forwarded  to  him  from 
America  by  some  secret  enemy.  He  felt  this  the  more 
keenly,  perhaps,  from  the  total  absence  of  everything  of 
the  kind  in  his  own  nature.  He  could  not,  I  am  satis 
fied,  have  harbored  malice  toward  his  worst  enemy.  Al 
luding  to  this  inexplicable  persecution,  one  of  his  corre- 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  79 

spondents  remarks :  "  Even  you  have  enemies,  and  who 
then  can  escape  ?  " 

My  stay  in  Madrid  was  short,  as  I  had  already  passed 
some  time  in  other  parts  of  Spain,  and  was  now  on  my 
way  to  Paris.  On  the  ninth  of  August,  six  weeks  after 
I  parted  with  Mr.  Irving,  it  appears  by  his  note-book  that 
his  attention  was  diverted  to  the  "  Conquest  of  Granada," 
at  which  he  commenced  at  once,  and  on  which  he  worked 
incessantly,  with  the  exception  of  an  excursion  of  four 
days  to  the  Escurial  in  October,,  until  the  18th  of  Novem 
ber,  when,  having  completed  a  rough  sketch  of  the  work, 
he  threw  it  aside  to  resume  his  "  Columbus ; "  and  on  the 
22d  of  December  he  wrote  to  Murray,  informing  him, 
rather  prematurely,  as  the  sequel  shows,  of  the  work 
being  nearly  ready  for  the  press. 

Six  weeks  previous  to  this  date,  Lieutenant  Alexander 
Slidell  (afterwards  Mackenzie),  of  the  United  States 
Navy,  arrived  in  Madrid,  and  during  his  stay  furnished 
for  the  appendix  of  Mr.  Irving's  work  what  the  author 
styles,  in  the  revised  edition  of  1850,  "  the  very  masterly 
paper  on  the  route  of  Columbus."  It  was  after  his  de 
parture  from  Madrid  that  he  met  with  the  robbery,  of 
which  he  gives  such  a  graphic  account  in  his  "Year  in 
Spain,"  an  interesting  work,  of  which  Mr.  Irving  wrote  a 
review  for  the  "  London  Quarterly  "  in  1831. 

The  record  of  December  30  in  the  author's  note-book 
is  as  follows  :  "  All  day  at  *  Columbus,'  "  and  the  closing 
record  of  the  year  is : — 


80  LIFE  AND  LETTEB8 

Columbus — go  out — return  home  and  write  a  little,  but  sleepy  and  go 
to  bed — and  so  ends  the  year  1826,  which  has  been  a  year  of  the  hardest 
application  and  toil  of  the  pen  I  have  ever  passed.  I  feel  more  satisfied. 
however,  with  the  manner  in  which  I  have  passed  it  than  I  have  been 
with  that  of  many  gayer  years,  and  close  this  year  of  my  life  in  better 
humor  with  myself  than  I  have  often  done. 

The  labors  of  the  author  on  "  Columbus  "  were  by  no 
means  so  near  their  completion  as  he  had  supposed  when 
he  wrote  to  Murray.  A  few  extracts  from  his  letters  to 
myself,  to  whom  he  was  thinking  of  committing  the  su 
perintendence  of  its  publication  in  London,  when  he  sup 
posed  he  was  finishing  his  task,  will  serve  to  throw  light 
on  this  portion  of  his  literary  history  : — 

[To  Pierre  Monro  Irving.] 

January  18^,  1827. —  ....  I  had  hoped  by  this  time  to  have 
had  ' '  Columbus  "  ready  for  the  press,  but  there  are  points  continually 
rising  to  be  inquired  into  and  discussed,  which  cause  delay  ;  and  I  played 
truant  to  my  main  work  for  two  or  three  months  and  rambled  into  an 
other,  which  is  all  sketched  out  in  the  rough,  so  that  "Columbus"  has 
yet  to  receive  the  finishing  touches.  I  received  a  letter  from  Murray  the 
day  before  yesterday  on  the  subject  of  "Columbus."  He  is  extremely, 
anxious  to  receive  it  as  soon  as  possible,  that  he  may  put  it  immediately 
to  press.  I  have  felt  very  much  worried  and  perplexed  how  to  manage, 
as  I  should  have  to  get  the  work  copied  here  to  send  out  to  America,  and 
that  would  cause  great  delay.  Your  letter  from  Paris  has  arrived  in  the 
very  critical  moment  to  put  me  at  my  ease  ;  I  must  get  you  to  superin 
tend  the  publication  of  my  work  in  London,  correcting  the  proof  sheets, 
etc.  As  you  will  be  able  to  decipher  my  handwriting,  and  from  your 
knowledge  of  languages  will  be  able  to  see  the  quotations  in  Spanish, 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  81 

Italian,  etc.,  are  printed  correctly,  I  need  not  lose  time  in  getting  it 
copied  here.  You  will  send  out  proof  sheets  to  B.  Irving  as  fast  as  they 
ara  printed,  for  the  work  to  be  reprinted  in  America.  Thus  you  see  you 
will  really  be  of  vast  service  to  me,  and  the  task  I  impose  on  you  will 
give  you  a  curious  peep  into  some  departments  of  literary  life  in  Lon 
don This  arrangement  will  enable  me  to  forward  my  work 

by  piecemeal  as  I  get  it  ready,  and  will  greatly  expedite  its  publication, 
while  it  will  make  me  feel  easy  as  to  the  manner  in  which  it  will  be 
brought  out  in  London,  which  1  should  not  have  done  had  I  committed 
it  to  the  superintendence  of  strangers.  It  will  probably  be  a  month  yet 
before  I  have  any  of  it  ready  to  forward,  and  as  there  are  always  prepara 
tions  to  be  made  with  printers,  etc.,  I  think  that  there  is  no  likelihood  of 
its  going  to  press  until  some  time  in  March,  if  so  soon.  I  will  write  to 
you  again,  however,  shortly,  and  wish  you  not  to  leave  Paris  until  you 
hear  from  me. 

MADRID,  February  22,  1827. 

.  .  .  .  In  my  last  I  wished  you  to  attend  to  the  correcting  of  the 
proof  sheets  of  my  work  on  "  Columbus  "  while  printing  in  England,  and 
expected  by  this  time  to  have  had  a  considerable  part  of  the  manuscript 
in  the  printers'  hands.  I  have  been  disappointed.  I  have  been  obliged 
to  wait  for  a  sight  of  documents,  and  then  to  make  considerable  altera 
tions.  I  find  the  finishing  off  of  a  work  of  the  kind  involving  so  many 
points  foreign  to  my  usual  course  of  reading  and  pursuits,  requires  time 
and  care  ;  and  above  all,  I  find  it  next  to  impossible  to  procure  copiers  in 
this  place.  I  have  been  for  four  or  five  weeks  past  endeavoring  to  get 
manuscript  copied,  and  have  not  yet  succeeded  in  getting  twenty  pages. 
This  delay  is  extremely  irksome  to  me,  as  I  wish  to  get  the  work  off  of 
my  hands  and  leave  Madrid,  and  indeed  to  make  a  rapid  tour  and  leave 
Spain  as  soon  as  possible. 

While  these  obstacles  occur  to  delay  the  forwarding  my  manuscript  to 

England,  I  do  not  wish,  in  case  you  should  have  received  my  previous 

lettei',  to  interfere  with  any  of  your  travelling  plans.     Follow  your  own 

inclinations.    Let  me  hear  from  you,  where  you  are  and  what  are  your 

VOL, 


82  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

plans,  and  if  I  can  get  my  work  copied  and  sent  off  soon,  I  may  yet  re 
quire  your  aid  while  in  England  ;  but  that  must  depend  entirely  upon 
your  movements  and  convenience. 

I  have  been  working  very  hard  at  the  "  History  of  Columbus,"  and 
have  had  to  rewrite  many  parts  that  I  had  thought  finished,  in  conse 
quence  of  procuring  better  sources  of  information,  which  throw  new  light 
upon  various  points.  It  is  a  kind  of  work  that  will  not  bear  hurrying  ; 
many  questions  have  been  started  connected  with  it  which  have  been  per 
plexed  by  tedious  controversies,  and  which  must  all  be  looked  into.  I 
had  no  idea  of  what  a  complete  labyrinth  I  had  entangled  myself  in  when 
I  took  hold  of  the  work. 

In  a  subsequent  letter,  March  20th,  he  gives  up  all 
idea  of  forwarding  the  manuscript  to  me  : 

I  have  repeatedly  [he  says]  made  efforts  to  hurry  forward,  but  have 
every  time  lost  ground  by  making  errors  or  omissions,  which  obliged  me 

afterwards  to  go  over  the  same  ground  again I  have  now  got 

a  copying-machine,  and  will  be  able  to  strike  off  copies  of  the  remainder 
of  my  work  as  fast  as  I  make  corrected  transcripts  of  the  chapters.  Still 
I  find  time  runs  away  insensibly,  and  week  slips  after  week  without  my 
bringing  my  labors  to  a  close. 

It  was  at  a  period  when  he  had  relinquished  all 
thoughts  of  expediting  the  publication  of  his  "  Life  of 
Columbus  "  that  Mr.  Irving  addressed  the  following  let 
ter  to  Brevoort,  from  whom  he  had  just  heard  in  expla 
nation  of  a  long  and  to  him  unaccountable  silence.  The 
American  reader  may  be  interested  in  its  mention  of 
Cooper,  Halleck,  Bryant,  and  Paulding — names,  all  but 
the  last,  which  had  grown  into  fame  since  he  left  his 
native  Jan<J ;— . 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  83 

MADRID,  April  4, 1837. 

MY  DEAR  BREVOORT  :- 

Your  letter  of  the  1st  January  was  one  of  the  most  acceptable  that  I 

ever  received The  letter  you  sent  to  me  to  the  care  of  Mr. 

Welles  never  reached  me,  and  for  upwards  of  two  years  I  had  no  reply  tc 
the  letters  and  messages  which  I  sent  you 

I  am  conscious  that  my  long  absence  from  home  has  subjected  me  to 
unfavorable  representations,  and  has  been  used  to  my  disadvantage.  A 
man,  however,  must  have  firmness  enough  to  pursue  his  plans  when  justi 
fied  by  his  own  conscience,  without  being  diverted  from  them  by  the  idle 
surmises  and  misconceptions  of  others.  If  my  character  and  conduct  are 
worth  inquiring  into,  they  will  ultimately  be  understood  and  appreciated 
according  to  their  merits  ;  nor  can  anything  I  could  say  or  do  in  contra 
diction  place  them  an  iota  above  or  below  their  real  standard.  With  the 
world,  therefore,  let  these  matters  take  their  course  ;  I  shall  not  court  it 
nor  rail  at  it  ;  but  with  cherished  friends  like  yourself,  my  dear  Brevoort, 
the  present  feeling  is  all-important  to  me.  Do  not  let  yourself  be  per 
suaded,  therefore,  that  time  or  distance  has  estranged  me  in  thought  or 
feeling  from  my  native  country,  my  native  place,  or  the  friends  of  my 
youth.  The  fact  is,  that  the  longer  I  remain  from  home  the  greater  charm 
it  has  in  my  eyes,  and  all  the  coloring  that  the  imagination  once  gave  to 
distant  Europe  now  gathers  about  the  scenes  of  my  native  country.  I 
look  forward  to  my  return  as  to  the  only  event  of  any  very  desirable  kind 
that  may  yet  be  in  store  for  me.  I  do  not  know  whether  it  is  the  case 
with  other  wanderers,  but  with  me,  the  various  shifting  scenes  through 
which  I  have  passed  in  Europe  have  pushed  each  other  out  of  place  suc 
cessively  and  alternately  faded  away  from  my  mind,  while  the  scenes  and 
friends  of  my  youth  alone  remain  fixed  in  my  memory  and  my  affections 
with  their  original  strength  and  freshness 

Since  my  arrival  in  Spain,  I  have  been  completely  immersed  in  old 
Spanish  literature.  My  residence  under  the  roof  of  Mr.  Rich,  the  Ameri 
can  consul,  has  been  particularly  favorable  to  my  pursuits  ;  he  is  a  dili 
gent  collector  of  rare  works,  and  has  the  most  valuable  works  in  print 
and  manuscript  of  the  Spanish  writers 


84  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

I  left  Paris  a  considerable  time  before  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Cooper,  and 
regret  extremely  that  I  missed  him.  I  have  a  great  desire  to  make  his 
acquaintance,  for  I  am  delighted  with  his  novels  ;  at  least  with  those 
which  I  have  read.  His  "Mohicans,"  which  I  am  told  is  his  best,  I  have 
yet  to  read.  His  naval  scenes  and  characters  in  the  "Pilot"  are 
admirable.  I  am  fond  of  the  sea,  and  have  seen  a  little  of  nautical  life, 
and  am  therefore  more  able  to  appreciate  them.  I  have  been  charmed, 
likewise,  with  what  I  have  seen  of  the  writings  of  Bryant  and  Halleek. 
Are  you  acquainted  with  them  ?  I  should  like  to  know  something  about 
them  personally  ;  their  vein  of  thinking  is  quite  above  that  of  ordinary 
men  and  ordinary  poets,  and  they  are  masters  of  the  magic  of  poetical 
language. 

I  have  not  heard  for  some  time  past  from  Paulding.  His  last  letters 
were  full  of  kind  feeling  and  interesting  anecdotes  ;  I  am  too  glad  to  find 
that  he  is  settled  in  the  old  homestead  of  the  Kernble  family,  that  scene 
of  so  many  happy  hours.  As  to  his  retired  mode  of  life,  I  fancy  it  is  the 
happiest  when  a  man  has  a  family  for  his  world,  books  at  his  elbow,  and 
his  pen  as  an  amusement.  I  have  not  seen  two  or  three  of  his  late  publi 
cations.  All  of  those  that  I  have  met  with  bears  his  usual  stamp  of  orig 
inality,  his  vein  of  curious  and  beautiful  thought,  his  turns  of  picturesque 
language,  mingled  with  the  faults  that  arise  from  hasty  and  negligent 
composition.  Early  habits  and  associations  have  given  a  charm  to  his 
writings  in  my  eyes  ;  I  always  find  in  them  passages  that  strike  on  some 
chord  of  old  remembrance 

P.  S.  I  have  written  much  of  this  letter  in  an  open  and  garrulous  vein 
about  my  private  feelings.  I  trust  you  will  receive  it  with  indulgence, 
and  show  it  to  no  one.  I  never  had  any  reserve  with  you,  and  I  write  to 
you  as  I  used  to  talk,  without  caring  to  disguise  any  error  or  weakness. 

In  one  of  the  last  letters  which  Mr.  Irving  had  received 
from  his  old  friend  and  fellow-laborer,  Paulding,  after 
mentioning  the  death  of  his  father-in-law,  Mr.  Kemble, 
and  his  transfer  from  Washington  to  the  city  of  New 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  85 

York,  with  the  appointment  of  Navy  Agent,  writes  :  "  In 
the  division  of  the  estate,  the  old  house  which  we  have 
so  often  haunted  in  Whitehall  Street  has  fallen  to  my 
share.  Here  I  have  set  up  my  tent,  and  if  living  in  a 
great  house  constitutes  a  great  man,  after  the  fashion 
of  New  York,  a  great  man  am  I,  at  your  service." 

It  appears  by  his  note-book  that  Mr.  Irving  continued 
to  labor  at  "  Columbus  "  with  little  or  no  intermission  up 
to  the  close  of  July,  when  he  addressed  the  following  let 
ter  to  Murray,  which  I  give  from  a  copy  retained  among 
his  papers : — 

[To  John  Murray] 

MADBID,  July  29, 1827. 

MY  DEAR  SIB  : — 

I  have  at  length  concluded  my  "  History  of  Columbus."  As  I  cannot 
come  to  London  to  make  arrangements  for  its  publication,  and  as  time 
might  be  lost  in  negotiating  at  this  distance,  I  have  transmitted  a  portion 
of  the  manuscript  to  my  friend,  Col.  Aspinwall,  American  consul  at  Lon 
don,  who  will  arrange  the  matter  with  you  in  my  name.  I  have  sent  as 
much  of  the  MS.  as  I  could  venture  to  intrude  upon  the  civility  of  an 
English  courier.  The  rest  will  be  forwarded  by  the  first  opportunity. 
The  first  volume  will  end  with  the  last  chapter  of  the  tenth  book,  form 
ing  seven  hundred  and  fifty-six  manuscript  pages,  besides  a  preface  of  a 
few  pages.  The  second  volume  may  possibly  be  a  little  larger,  contain 
ing,  besides  the  remaining  eight  books,  a  number  of  illustrations  which  I 
have  endeavored  to  make  as  interesting  and  entertaining  as  possible,  and 
a  few  important  documents.  The  latter  eight  books  contain  the  third 
voyage  of  Columbus,  the  troubles  of  himself  and  his  brothers  in  the  isl 
and  of  Hispaniola  with  the  natives  and  the  rebels ;  his  being  sent  to  Spain 
in  chains ;  his  fourth  voyage,  in  the  course  of  which  I  have  brought  for- 


86  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

ward  many  particulars  of  his  singular  and  disastrous  voyage  along  the 
coast  of  Veraguas  or  Isthmus  of  Panama;  the  transactions  in  the  isl 
and  of  Jamaica,  where  he  lived  for  a  year  in  the  wrecks  of  his  stranded 
ships,  etc.,  etc.,  so  that  the  latter  part  of  the  work  is  full  of  incident  and 
interest.  I  have  woven  into  my  work  many  curious  particulars  net 
hitherto  known  concerning  Columbus,  and  I  think  I  have  thrown  light 
upon  some  parts  of  his  character  which  have  not  been  brought  out  by  his 
former  biographers.  I  have  labored  hard  to  make  the  work  complete  and 
accurate  as  to  all  the  information  extant  relative  to  the  subject,  while  I 
have  sought  to  execute  it  in  such  a  manner  as  would  render  it  agreeable 
to  the  general  reader.  Considering  its  magnitude  and  the  toil  it  has  cost 
me,  1  should  not  be  willing  to  part  with  the  copy-right  under  three  thou 
sand  guineas.  As  I  mentioned  in  one  of  my  letters,  however,  I  am  will 
ing  to  publish  it  on  shares.  The  mode  of  doing  so,  as  I  once  understood 
from  Sir  Walter  Scott,  is  to  agree  about  the  number  of  copies  in  an  edi 
tion,  and  the  retail  price  to  be  placed  upon  them ;  to  multiply  the  num 
ber  of  copies  by  the  price  of  each,  and  divide  the  gross  amount  by  six. 
For  this  sixth  part,  the  publisher  to  give  his  notes  to  the  author.  If  this 
meets  with  your  approbation,  all  the  incidental  arrangements  can  be  made 
with  Col.  Aspinwall.  I  should  like,  however,  to  have  an  advance  of 
two  or  three  hundred  guineas  on  the  work  as  a  matter  of  private  accom 
modation,  my  funds  being  all  in  America,  from  whence  I  find  both  loss 
and  trouble  in  procuring  them. 

Should  you  undertake  the  present  work,  the  sooner  it  is  put  to  press  the 
better,  as  I  have  other  writings  in  preparation  which  I  should  soon  be 
able  to  furnish.  I  hope  you  will  let  me  hear  from  you  as  soon  as  possible. 

I  close  the  history  of  this  year  with  a  few  extracts  from 
the  author's  note-book. 

August  20th. — At  American  copy  of  "  Columbus." 
22d. — Dine  with  Smith  [John  Adams  Smith,  the  American  Secretary  ol 
Legation]  and  Longfellow. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  87 

This  was  Henry  W.  Longfellow,  the  now  celebrated 
American  poet,  then  a  youth  of  twenty-one,  who  had  re 
ceived  the  offer  of  a  professorship  of  modern  languages 
in  Bowdoin  College,  Maine,  for  which  he  was  preparing 
himself  by  a  residence  in  the  different  capitals  in  Europe. 
I  had  parted  with  him  at  Paris  early  in  the  year.  His 
sojourn  in  Madrid  had  commenced  with  the  6th  of  March ; 
Mr.  Irving,  in  a  letter  to  me  of  the  8th,  having  this  men 
tion  of  him  :  "  Mr.  Longfellow  arrived  safe  and  cheerily 
the  day  before  yesterday,  having  met  with  no  robbers." 
I  cannot  refrain  from  giving  here  the  poet's  own  beauti 
ful  allusion  to  this  meeting  with  Mr.  Irving  in  Spain.  In 
an  address  before  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society, 
on  occasion  of  the  author's  decease,  after  alluding  to  his 
early  admiration  of  the  "  Sketch  Book,"  published  when 
he  was  a  school-boy,  he  says  :— 

Many  years  afterwards  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Mr.  Irving  in 
Spain,  and  found  the  author,  whom  I  had  loved,  repeated  in  the  man. 
The  same  playful  humor  ;  the  same  touches  of  sentiment  ;  the  same 
poetic  atmosphere  ;  and,  what  I  admired  still  more,  the  entire  absence 
of  all  literary  jealousy,  of  all  that  mean  avarice  of  fame,  which  counts 
what  is  given  to  another  as  so  much  taken  from  one's  self — 

"  And  trembling,  hears  in  every  breeze, 
The  laurels  of  Miltiades." 

At  this  time  Mr.  Irving  was  at  Madrid,  engaged  upon  his  "  Life  of  Co 
lumbus  ;  "  and  if  the  work  itself  did  not  bear  ample  testimony  to  his  zeal 
ous  and  conscientious  labor,  I  could  do  so  from  personal  observation.  He 
seemed  to  be  always  at  work.  "  Sit  down,"  he  would  say,  "  I  will  talk 
with  you  in  a  moment,  but  I  must  first  finish  this  sentence." 


88  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

One  summer  morning,  passing  his  house  at  the  early  hour  of  six,  I  saw 
his  study  window  already  wide  open.  On  my  mentioning  it  to  him  after 
wards  he  said  :  "Yes,  I  am  always  at  my  work  as  early  as  six."  Since 
then,  I  have  often  remembered  that  sunny  morning  and  that  open  win 
dow,  so  suggestive  of  his  sunny  temperament  and  his  open  heart,  and 
equally  so  of  his  patient  and  persistent  toil  ;  and  have  recalled  those 
striking  words  of  Dante  : — 

"  Seggendo  in  piuma, 
In  fama  non  si  vien  ne  sotto  coltre  ; 

Senza  la  qual,  chi  sua  vita  consuma, 
Cotal  vestigio  in  terra,  di  se  lascia 

Qual  f  ummo  in  acre  ed  in  acqua  la  schinma. 

"  Seated  upon  down, 
Or  in  his  bed,  man  cometh  not  to  fame ; 

Withouten  which,  whoso  his  life  consumes, 
Such  vestige  of  himstlf  on  earth  shall  leave 

As  smoke  in  air  and  in  the  water  foam." 

I  return  to  the  diary  : — 

August  SOth. — Write  letters  of  introduction  for  Mr.  Longfellow,  to 
Rumigny,  Bottiger,  Lowenstein,  Sir  Walter  Scott,  Mr.  Philips,  Sotheby. 

September  8th. — All  day  writing  at  "Don  Roderick,"  and  till  eleven 
at  night. 

17th. — King's  Library — memorandums  about  Fernando  Gonzalez — 
evening  at  Mr.  D'Oubril's — [the  Russian  Minister,  at  whose  house  he 
became  very  intimate]. 

October  8th.—  King's  Library— "  Cid  "—receive  letter  from  Colonel  As- 
pinwall,  informing  me  of  his  arrangement  with  Murray  for  "History  of 
Columbus"— 3,000  guineas— [that  is— Murray  elected  to  pay  the  3,000 
guineas  rather  than  publish  on  shares]. 

Aspinwall  writes  :  "  Murray  says  of  the  work,  it  is 
beautiful,  beautiful — the  best  thing  he  has  ever  written;" 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  89 

and  informs  his  correspondent  that  the  terms  upon  which 
he  had  concluded  to  become  the  purchaser  of  the  copy 
right  were  as  follows  : — 

£300  down, 
450  in  note  at  6  months  from  January  1,  1828. 


400 

9 

400 

12 

400   " 

15 

400 

18 

400 

21 

400 

24 

£3,150 

The  periods  of  payment  were  protracted  to  a  year  be 
yond  the  period  within  which  the  payments  for  his  for 
mer  works  were  made,  his  wish  being  to  regulate  his 
payments  in  some  measure  according  to  the  prospect  of 
reimbursement  from  sales. 

Newton  writes  to  him  from  London  the  same  day,  Oc 
tober  8,  in  a  letter  received  on  the  22d : — 

I  hope  you  are  satisfied  with  the  pecuniary  arrangement  the  colonel 
has  made  ;  he  seems  to  have  been  very  wary,  and  to  have  gained  great 
credit  with  Murray  as  a  sharp  bargainer,  who,  on  the  other  hand,  is 
delighted  with  his  bargain,  so  much  so  as  to  make  the  sincerity  of  his 
encomiums  on  the  worthy  colonel's  shrewdness  doubtful.  You  will  be 
glad  to  hear  that  Southey,  to  whom  the  manuscript  was  first  shown,  pro 
nounced  the  most  unqualified  praise  of  it,  both  as  to  matter  and  manner  ; 
there  seems  to  be  no  doubt,  from  what  I  hear,  that  this  work  will  greatly 
raise  your  name  in  literature. 


90  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

I  resume  my  extracts  from  the  author's  note-book •. — 

October  10th. — King's  Library — Cid — afternoon  Wilkie,  the  painter, 
calls  on  me — just  arrived — visit  him  with  Peter  in  the  evening — after 
wards  go  to  D'OubriPs. 

Thursday  llth. — Morning  go  to  Museum  with  Mr.  Wilkie  —  Peter 
and  Dolgorouki  [Prince  Demetri  Ivanovitch  Dolgorouki,  attached  to 
the  Russian  Embassy]. 

Sunday  14th. — Dine  at  Mr.  Bosanquet's — British  charge  d'affaires — 
pfesent  Lord  Mahon  [the  historian],  son  of  Earl  of  Stanhope,  and  his 
brother,  Hon.  Mr.  Stanhope  — Mr.  Wilkie,  Prince  Dolgorouki  —  evening 
at  Mr.  D'Oubril's  with  Wilkie — pass  evening  with  the  children. 

Monday  15th. — Write  to  Murray,  sending  corrections  of  MSS. — Go  to 
bull-fight  with  Wilkie  and  Peter — evening  at  Wilkie's. 

Friday  19th. — At  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  set  off  in  diligence  with 
Peter  for  Escurial — in  company  with  Lord  Mahon,  and  his  brother  Mr. 
Stanhope  of  the  British  Legation  —  arrived  at  Escurial  at  half  past 
eleven,  and  put  up  at  Fleur  de  Lys,  where  we  found  Wilkie — Prince 
Dolgorouki  of  the  Russian  Legation  joined  us  in  the  course  of  the  day, 
having  come  too  late  for  the  diligence  and  followed  in  a  calasina — visited 
the  church,  vault,  etc. — Anniversary  of  the  death  of  Queen  Margaret — 
coffin  with  crown  and  pall,  etc.,  in  the  centre  of  the  chapel — in  the  even 
ing  the  Infanta,  wife  of  Don  Carlos,  goes  down  into  the  Pantheon  which 

is  illuminated — meet  Marquis  of who  introduces  me  to  the  prior,  a 

fat,  pleasant-faced  man— get  permission  for  Wilkie  to  go  all  over  the 
Escurial  at  all  times. 

Thursday  25th. — Leave  Madrid  at  seven  o'clock  with  Lord  Mahon, 
Mr.  Wilkie,  and  Peter,  for  Toledo — in  a  coach  with  six  mules — arrive  at 
Aranjuez  at  two  o'clock — seven  leagues — put  up  at  Posada  of  Andalusia 
— visit  Palace,  Gardens,  etc. 

October  28th. — Leave  Aranjuez  at  seven  o'clock —  ....  arrive 
at  Toledo  at  two  o'clock — seven  leagues. 

October  27th. — Visit  various  parts  of  town— church  and  convent  of 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  91 

Capuchins —    ....     see  young  monk  confessing  to  old  one — Wilkie 
much  struck  with  it. 

[Tliis  visit  to  Toledo,  in  the  illustrations  to  the  "Le 
gend  of  Don  Roderick,"  is  erroneously  stated  to  have 
been  in  1826.] 

In  the  latter  part  of  this  year,  Mr.  Irving  would  seem, 
from  his  memorandum  book,  to  have  been  engaged  in 
taking  notes  for  a  suite  of  works  he  had  projected,  illus 
trative  of  the  domination  of  the  Arabs  in  Spain,  and  also 
for  a  "  Conquest  of  Mexico,"  a  theme  upon  which  he  had 
been  brooding,  but  which  was  destined  to  employ  the 
pen  of  another  gifted  American. 

December  20,  21,  22,  23,  24,  the  record  is :  "  History 
of  the  Moors  and  Montezuma."  The  last  record  of  the 
year  is  as  follows : — 

Monday  December  31st. — Almanzor — call  at  Mr.  Roberts  and  ft*t  $100 
— evening  at  Mr.  D'Oubril's  till  near  twelve  o'clock — return  home  nbout 
twelve. 

So  ends  the  year  1827 — tranquilly. — It  has  been  a  year  of  labor,  but 
much  more  comfortable  than  most  I  have  passed  in  Europe,  and  leaves 
me  in  a  state  of  moderate  hope  as  to  the  future. 


CHAPTEE  VIL 

PUBLICATION  OF  " COLUMBUS"  BY  MURRAY  IN  LONDON,  BY  THE  CARTILL8  lA 
NEW  YORK. — LETTER  TO  BKEVOORT. — DEPARTURE  FROM  MADRID  ON  A  TOUR 
THROUGH  THE  SOUTHERN  PARTS  OF  SPAIN.— LETTERS  TO  MADEMOISELLE 
BOLLVILLER. — DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  JOURNEY  FROM  CORDOVA  TO  GRANADA. 
— THE  ALHAMBRA. — A  DESPATCH  FROM  THE  COURT  OF  LIONS. — QUEST  FOR 
THE  PORTAL  BY  WHICH  BOABDIL  SALLIED  FORTH. — THE  POOR  DEVIL  GUIDE. 
— THE  ALPUJARRAS.— FROM  MALAGA  TO  SEVILLE.— GOING  TO  WORK  ON  THE 
CONQUEST  OF  GRANADA. 

HE  "  Life  and  Voyages  of  Columbus  "  was  pub 
lished  by  Murray  in  four  large  volumes.  He 
was  much  found  fault  with  for  the  price,  the 
size,  and  the  gross  typographical  errors  with  which  it 
abounded.  He  had  assured  Mr.  Aspinwall  that  he  would 
have  the  correction  of  the  proofs  done  by  some  competent 
person ;  but  Mr.  Irving  had  given  no  directions  on  the 
subject,  and  he  was  very  badly  represented  on  the  occa 
sion. 

The  first  American  edition  of  two  thousand  copies,  in 
three  octavo  volumes,  was  sold  to  the  Messrs.  Carvill,  the 
principal  booksellers  of  New  York,  after  having  been  first 
offered  by  Ebenezer  Irving  to  Messrs.  Carey,  Lea  & 
Carey,  of  Philadelphia. 

92 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IE  VINO.  93 

E.  I.  [writes  Peter  to  Washington]  offered  the  edition  to  Messrs.  Carey 
in  sheets,  three  volumes  at  $2  per  volumes,  at  40  per  cent,  discount,  or  in 
boards  at  33£.  They  replied  that  they  would  wish  to  sell  it  to  the  trade 
at  those  discounts,  and  that  the  terms  he  proposed  were  out  of  all  bounds, 
and  would  not  permit  them  even  to  make  him  an  offer.  He  showed  the 
letter  to  Brevoort,  and  on  consultation  they  considered  it  necessary  to 
seek  another  publisher.  Brevoort  applied  to  Messrs.  Carvill,  whom  he 
knew,  and  who  agreed  to  give  seven  thousand  dollars  for  the  two  thousand 
copies  in  sheets,  one  thousand  dollars  on  delivery,  the  remainder  in  four, 
six,  and  nine  months,  giving  you  a  profit  on  the  edition  of  about  three 
thousand  dollars.  Messrs.  Carvill  are  the  first  booksellers  in  New  York. 

Mr.  Carey  came  on  to  New  York  about  the  beginning  of  February,  and 
after  considerable  conversation  offered  a  profit  of  two  thousand  five  hun 
dred  dollars,  and  when  he  found  that  it  would  not  procure  it  manifested 
a  disposition  to  augment  the  proffer,  but  was  informed  that  it  was  too 
late. 

The  price  at  which  the  book  is  to  be  published  is  two  dollars  and  a 
quarter  per  volume,  or  six  dollars  and  three  quarters  for  the  three 
volumes.* 

Having  glanced  for  a  moment  at  these  mercantile  ar 
rangements  respecting  the  publication  of  "Columbus," 
which  were  left  entirely  to  the  control  of  his  brother 
Ebenezer,  I  now  introduce  a  letter  to  Brevoort,  which 
gives  a  further  insight  into  the  author's  feelings  on  offer 
ing  to  the  world  a  work  which  told  the  history  of  one  of 

*  In  a  letter  to  the  author  written  about  this  time,  Carey  makes  a  proposition  to  him 
respecting  any  future  publications  ;  and  about  the  last  of  March,  1828,  put  the  question 
to  his  brother  and  agent,  Ebenezer,  what  he  would  ask  for  the  right  of  publishing  the 
four  previous  works,  ITixtory  of  New  York,  Sketch  Book,  Bracebridge  Hall,  and  Tales  of 
a  Traveller,  for  seven  or  ten  years. 

The  result  was  an  arrangement  soon  after  with  that  house  for  a  seven  years1  lease  of 
the  copy-right  of  these  works  at  six  hundred  dollars  per  annum,  payable  semi-annually, 
and  to  take  the  stock  on  hand  at  sixty-flve  cents  per  copy. 


94  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

the  most  stupendous  and  memorable  events  in  the  annals 
of  mankind,  and  was  to  be  pronounced  more  honorable  to 
the  literature  of  his  own  country  than  any  that  had  yet 
appeared  in  it.  In  the  estimation  of  an  eminent  American 
critic,  Mr.  Alexander  H.  Everett,  then  Minister  at  Mad 
rid,  but  soon  to  exchange  that  diplomatic  situation  for 
the  editorship  of  the  "  North  American  Review,"  he  had 
already  secured  and  would  permanently  retain,  in  our 
literary  annals,  the  brilliant  position  of  the  harbinger 
and  founder  of  the  American  school  of  polite  learning ; 
but  he  naturally  felt  anxious  as  to  his  reception  in  this 
new  department  of  literature,  in  which  Moore,  in  his 
"Life  of  Sheridan,"  and  Scott,  in  his  "Napoleon,"  works 
but  recently  published,  were  considered  to  have  failed. 

MADRID,  February  23, 1828. 

MY  DEAR  BREVOORT  : — 

I  have  received  two  letters  from  you,  the  last  dated  December  19,  and 
both  full  of  the  most  interesting  domestic  intelligence.  I  feel  under  the 
greatest  obligation  to  you  for  the  kind  interest  you  have  taken  in  my 
"History  of  Columbus."  I  find  by  the  London  papers  it  was  to  be  pub 
lished  by  Murray  on  the  llth  instant If  the  work  succeeds, 

it  will  be  of  immense  service  to  me  ;  if  it  fails  it  will  be,  most  probably, 
what  many  have  anticipated,  who  suppose,  from  my  having  dealt  so  much 
in  fiction,  it  must  be  impossible  for  me  to  tell  truth  with  plausibility. 

I  am  sorry  to  find  by  your  letters  that  you  have  had  your  share  of  the 
rubs  and  cares  of  the  times  ;  I  had  hoped  you  were  safe  in  port  and  out 
of  the  reach  of  storms  and  disasters  ;  but  so  it  is  ;  we  are  none  of  us 
completely  sheltered  from  misfortune.  If  we  do  not  put  to  sea,  the  sea 
overflows  its  bounds  and  drowns  us  on  the  land.  For  my  own  part,  with 
all  my  exertions,  I  seem  always  to  keep  about  up  to  my  chin  in  troubled 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  95 

water,  while  the  world,  I  suppose,  thinks  I  am  sailing  smoothly  with  wind 
and  tide  in  my  favor.  * 

On  the  1st  of  March,  1828,  Mr.  Irving  set  off  in  the 
diligence  for  Cordova,  in  company  with  Mr.  Gessler, 
Russian  Consul-general,  and  Mr.  Stoffregen,  Secretary 
of  the  Eussian  Embassy,  to  make  a  tour  through  the 
most  beautiful,  romantic,  and  historical  part  of  Anda 
lusia.  His  brother  Peter  had  originally  intended  to  ac 
company  him  on  this  tour,  but  he  found  his  health  too 
feeble  and  uncertain  for  the  rough  exposures  to  which  he 
would  be  subject  in  travel  in  Spain,  and  he  therefore  left 
Madrid  to  proceed  by  slow  journeys  to  Paris,  the  same 
day  that  Washington  started  for  the  south  of  Spain.  "  It 
seemed,"  says  Washington,  in  a  letter  to  his  sister,  Mrs. 
Paris,  "  on  taking  leave  of  him  at  Madrid,  as  if  I  had 
parted  with  half  of  myself." 

At  Cordova,  where  they  arrived  on  the  4th,  they  made 
arrangements  for  horses  to  take  them  to  Granada ;  and, 
as  a  story  was  afloat  of  eleven  robbers,  mounted,  on  the 
Rambla  road,  they  engaged  an  escort  of  four  men.  As 
they  were  about  to  start,  the  diligence  brought  a  rein 
forcement  to  their  party  in  the  person  of  an  English 
clergyman,  a  Mr.  Tomlinson,  and  an  American,  who  pro 
posed  to  join  them  ;  and  for  these  an  additional  escort 
was  secured — Bautiste  Serrano  de  Ecija,  a  stout  man 
with  a  fierce  eye.  "  Would  have  to  pay  him  high — first- 
rate  fellow — knows  all  the  robbers — has  been  a  robber 
himself,"  whispered  the  landlord  to  Mr.  Irving. 


96  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

A  description  of  his  journey  from  Cordova  to  Granada, 
and  of  his  first  visit  to  the  Alhambra,  the  scene  of  his 
future  elysian  abode,  will  be  found  in  the  following  let 
ter.  The  lady  to  whom  it  is  addressed  was  a  niece  of 
Madame  D'Oubril,  and  an  intelligent  and  cherished  in 
mate  of  the  domestic  circle  of  Mr.  D'Oubril,  the  Russian 
Minister,  whose  house  became  a  frequent  and  favorite 
resort  of  Mr.  Irving,  during  his  prolonged  stay  of  two 
years  in  the  Spanish  capital. 

[To  Mademoiselle  Antoinette  Bollviller.] 

GRANADA,  March  15,  1828. 

I  promised,  ray  dear  Mademoiselle  Bollviller,  to  write  to  you  in  the 
course  of  our  tour,  but  when  I  made  such  a  promise  I  had  little  idea  of 
the  difficulty  of  performing  it  while  travelling  in  Spain.  One  is  exhausted 
by  incessant  fatigue,  and  put  out  of  all  tune  by  the  squalid  miseries  of 
the  Spanish  posadas.  I  am  now  so  surrounded  by  dirt  and  villainy  of  all 
kinds  that  I  am  almost  ashamed  to  despatch  a  letter  to  your  pure  hands 
from  so  scoundrel  a  place. 

Our  journey  has  hitherto  been  auspicious,  that  is  to  say,  we  have  es 
caped  being  robbed,  though  we  have  been  in  dens  as  perilous  as  that  of 
Daniel  and  the  lions  ;  our  greatest  risk,  however,  has,  I  am  convinced, 
been  from  our  own  escort,  which  for  part  of  the  way  has  been  composed 
of  half-reformed  robbers,  retired  from  business,  but  who  seemed  to  have 
a  great  hankering  after  their  old  trade 

Our  journey  through  La  Mancha  was  cold  and  uninteresting,  excepting 
when  we  passed  through  the  scenes  of  some  of  the  exploits  of  Don  Quix 
ote.  We  were  repaid,  however,  by  a  night  amidst  ,the  scenery  of  the 
Sierra  Morena,  seen  by  the  light  of  the  full  moon.  I  do  not  know  how 
this  scenery  would  appear  in  the  day-time,  but  by  moonlight  it  is  won 
derfully  wild  and  romantic,  especially  after  passing  the  summit  of  the 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  97 

Sierra.  As  the  day  dawned  we  entered  the  stern  and  savage  defiles  of 
the  Despena  Perros,  which  equals  the  wild  landscapes  of  Salvator  Rosa. 
For  some  time  we  continued  winding  along  the  brinks  of  precipices, 
overhung  with  cragged  and  fantastic  rocks  ;  and  after  a  succession  of 
such  rude  and  sterile  scenes  we  swept  down  to  Carolina,  and  found  our 
selves  in  another  climate.  The  orange-trees,  the  aloes  and  myrtle  began 
to  make  their  appearance  ;  we  felt  the  warm  temperature  of  the  sweet 
South,  and  began  to  breathe  the  balmy  air  of  Andalusia.  At  Andujar 
we  were  delighted  with  the  neatness  and  cleanliness  of  the  houses,  the 
patios  planted  with  orange  and  citron  trees  and  refreshed  by  fountains  ; 
we  passed  a  charming  evening  on  the  banks  of  the  famous  Guadalquivir, 
enjoying  the  mild  balmy  air  of  a  southern  evening,  and  rejoicing  in  the 
certainty  that  we  were  at  length  in  this  land  of  promise. 

While  at  Cordova  we  made  excursions  on  horseback  among  the  heights 
of  the  Sierra  Morena  which  rise  behind  the  city,  visiting  the  celebrated 
hermitage  and  the  convent  of  St.  Geronimo.  The  mountains  were 
clothed  with  aromatic  shrubs,  and  with  flowers  which  in  other  countries 
are  the  forced  productions  of  gardens  and  hothouses.  From  these 
heights  the  eye  revels  over  a  delicious  landscape  ;  a  broad  green  valley 
fertilized  by  the  windings  of  the  shining  Guadalquivir,  and  bounded  by 
long  lines  of  mountains  famous  in  the  hardy  predatory  wars  of  the  Moors 
and  Christians.  The  snowy  summit  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  lies  likes  a 
brilliant  cloud  in  the  distance,  marking  the  situation  of  Granada,  the 
city  of  romantic  history.  Every  mountain  summit  in  this  country 
spreads  before  you  a  mass  of  history,  filled  with  places  renowned  for 
some  wild  and  heroic  achievement. 

But  Granada,  bellissima  Granada  !  think  what  must  have  been  our 
delight,  when,  after  passing  the  famous  bridge  of  Pinos,  the  scene  of 
many  a  bloody  encounter  between  Moor  and  Christian,  and  remarkable 
for  having  been  the  place  where  Columbus  was  overtaken  by  the  mes 
senger  of  Isabella,  when  about  to  abandon  Spain  in  despair,  we  turned  a 
promontory  of  the  arid  mountains  of  Elvira,  and  Granada,  with  its 
towers,  its  Alhambra,  and  its  snowy  mountains,  burst  upon  our  sight. 
The  evening  sun  shone  gloriously  upon  its  red  towers  as  we  approached 
VOL.  11. — 7 


98  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

it,  and  gave  a  mellow  tone  to  the  rich  scenery  of  the  vega.  It  was  like 
the  magic  glow  which  poetry  and  romance  have  shed  over  this  enchant 
ing  place. 

For  several  days  past  we  have  been  incessantly  occupied  traversing  the 
city  and  its  environs  ;  but  the  Alhambra  and  Generalife  have  most 
excited  our  enthusiasm.  The  more  I  contemplate  these  places  the  more 
my  admiration  is  awakened  of  the  elegant  habits  and  delicate  taste  of  the 
Moorish  monarchs.  The  delicately  ornamented  walls  ;  the  aromatic 
groves,  mingling  with  the  freshness  and  the  enlivening  sound  of  foun 
tains  and  runs  of  water  ;  the  retired  baths,  bespeaking  purity  and  refine 
ment,  the  balconies  and  galleries  open  to  the  fresh  mountain  breeze,  and 
overlooking  the  loveliest  scenery  of  the  valley  of  the  Darrow  and  the 
magnificent  expanse  of  the  vega — it  is  impossible  to  contemplate  this 
delicious  abode  and  not  feel  an  admiration  of  the  genius  and  the  poeti 
cal  spirit  of  those  who  first  devised  this  earthly  paradise.  There  is  an  in 
toxication  of  heart  and  soul  in  looking  over  such  scenery  at  this  genial 
season.  All  nature  is  just  teeming  with  new  life  and  putting  on  the  first 
delicate  verdure  and  bloom  of  spring.  The  almond-trees  are  in  blossom, 
the  fig-trees  are  beginning  to  sprout  ;  everything  is  in  the  tender  bud, 
the  young  leaf,  or  the  half-open  flower.  The  beauty  of  the  season  is  but 
half  developed,  so  that  while  there  is  enough  to  yield  present  delight, 
there  is  the  flattering  promise  of  still  further  enjoyment.  Good  heavens ! 
after  passing  two  years  amidst  the  sunburnt  wastes  of  Castile,  to  be  let 
loose  to  rove  at  large  over  this  fragrant  and  lovely  land  !  what  a  fullness 
of  pure  and  healthful  pleasure  gushes  into  the  heart  ;  and  how  do  we 
look  back  with  distaste  upon  the  pale  and  artificial  life  of  the  city,  and 
wonder  how  we  could  have  condemned  ourselves  to  its  formal  and  frivo 
lous  routine  I 

COUBT  OP  THE  LlONS,  ALHAMBRA. 

I  think  I  told  you  that  I  would  write  you  a  letter  from  the  Alhambra;  I 
nave  escaped  from  the  noise  and  dirt  of  the  posada,  and  have  come  here 
partly  to  perform  my  promise,  partly  to  enjoy  a  little  tranquillity.  It  is 
now  near  the  hour  of  sunset  of  a  warm  day,  the  sun  is  still  shining  upon 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  99 

the  towers  which  overlook  this  court,  and  a  beautiful,  mellow  light  is 
spread  about  its  colonnades  and  marble  halls.  The  fountain  is  imjnedi- 
ately  before  me,  ever  memorable  from  the  tragic  fate  of  the  gallant  Aben- 
cerrages.  I  have  just  diluted  my  ink  with  its  water ;  and  here  I  sit  quietly 
inditing  a  gossiping  letter  on  the  place  that  has  been  the  scene  of  an 
atrocious  massacre.  We  talk  of  realizing  past  scenes  when  we  tread  in  the 
traces  of  renowned  historical  events,  but  I  find  it  impossible  to  get  into 
the  vein  of  feeling  consonant  to  such  a  place.  The  verity  of  the  present 
checks  and  chills  the  imagination  in  its  picturings  of  the  past.  I  have  been 
trying  to  conjure  up  images  of  Boabdil  passing  in  regal  splendor  through 
these  courts  ;  of  his  beautiful  queen  ;  of  the  Abencerrages,  the  Gomares, 
and  the  other  Moorish  cavaliers  who  once  filled  these  halls  with  the  glitter 
of  arms  and  the  splendor  of  oriental  luxury ;  but  I  am  continually  awakened 
from  my  reveries  by  the  jargon  of  an  Andalusian  peasant  who  is  setting 
out  rose-bushes,  and  the  song  of  a  pretty  Andalusian  girl  who  shows  the 
Alhambra,  and  who  is  chanting  a  little  romance  that  has  probably  been 
handed  down  from  generation  to  generation  since  the  time  of  the  Moors. 

For  the  greater  part  of  this  day  I  have  been  occupied  exploring  the 
neglected  parts  of  the  Alhambra  and  the  towers  which  lie  in  ruins.  I 
have  been  in  quest  of  the  portal  by  which  the  unfortunate  King  Boabdil 
sallied  forth  when  he  descended  to  the  vega  to  surrender  the  keys  to  Fer 
dinand  and  Isabella.  He  descended  outside  of  the  city  walls,  by  the  same 
road  by  which  the  Grand  Cardinal  of  Spain  ascended  at  the  head  of  a 
band  of  cavaliers  to  take  possession  of  the  Alhambra.  Boabdil  asked  of 
the  sovereign,  as  a  melancholy  boon,  that  no  one  might  be  permitted  to 
enter  the  Alhambra  by  the  portal  at  which  he  had  sallied  forth.  This 
prayer  was  granted  ;  the  portal  was  walled  up,  and  has  continued  so  to 
the  present  day.  I  found  this  interesting  anecdote  in  an  old  chronicle, 
but  no  one  here  knew  anything  of  it  or  of  the  condemned  portal.  I  set  a 
poor  devil  at  work,  however,  who  inherits  a  hovel  in  the  ruins  ;  and  to 
my  great  joy  he  has  found  out  the  gateway  for  me.  He  inquired  of  some 
old  people  upwards  of  eighty  years  of  age,  who  had  passed  their  lives  in 
the  Alhambra,  and  they  pointed  out  the  gateway  which  had  been  walled 
up  ever  since  their  recollection  ;  and  one  remembered  to  have  heard  his 


100  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

parents  say  it  was  the  gate  by  which  the  Moorish  king  i.ad  departed, 
when  he  took  his  last  leave  of  the  Alhambra.  This  gateway  is  in  a  ruined 
tower  that  has  been  blown  up  by  the  French.  With  the  keen  relish  of 
antiquarian  research,  I  traced  the  whole  route  of  the  Moorish  monarch 
down  to  the  vega,  to  a  small  chapel  dedicated  to  St.  Sebastian,  but  which 
in  former  times  was  a  mosque.  Here  an  inscription  on  the  wall  desig 
nated  it  as  the  place  where  the  unfortunate  Boabdil  met  the  Catholic 
sovereigns  and  surrendered  to  them  his  throne. 

Beside  the  satisfaction  of  having  settled  this  point  of  inquiry,  I  re 
ceived  from  my  poor  devil  guide  many  most  curious  particulars  of  the 
superstitions  which  circulate  among  the  poor  people  inhabiting  the  Al 
hambra  respecting  its  old,  mouldering  towers.  I  have  noted  down  these 
amusing  little  anecdotes,  and  he  has  promised  to  furnish  me  with  others. 
They  generally  relate  to  the  Moors  and  the  treasures  they  have  buried  in 
the  Alhambra,  and  the  apparitions  of  their  troubled  spirits  about  the 
towers  and  ruins  where  their  gold  lies  hidden.  When  I  have  more  time 
and  paper,  I  may  recount  you  some  of  these  traditions,  as  I  know  you  have 
a  great  relish  for  the  marvelous.  At  present  the  sun  is  set  ;  the  old  halls 
begin  to  darken  around  me,  and  the  bat  is  flitting  about  the  court  in 
place  of  the  birds  which  were  lately  chirping  here.  I  have  performed  my 
promise,  and  have  written  to  you  from  the  halls  of  the  Alhambra.  How 
unworthy  is  my  scribbling  of  the  place  ;  but  depend  upon  it,  half  of  the 
pretended  day-dreams  of  travellers  about  celebrated  places  are  quietly 
dreamt  in  comfortable  quarters,  far  from  the  scenes  they  celebrate.  The 
present  letter  I  will  finish  by  lamp-light  at  the  posada.  I  will  gather 
you  a  flower,  however,  from  the  Court  of  the  Lions,  and  inclose  it  in  the 
letter  to  atone  for  the  want  of  flowers  in  my  style.  And  so  farewell  at 
present  to  the  Alhambra  and  all  its  tragical  and  poetical  associations. 

[  To  Mademoiselle  Bollviller,  Madrid.  ] 

MALAGA,  April  2, 1828. 

I  am  glad,  my  dear  Mademoiselle  Antoinette,  that  you  wrote  to  me  in 
English,  notwithstanding  I  had  entreated  the  contrary.  I  have  been  s<r 


OP  WASHINGTON  IB  VINO.  101 

accustomed  to  converse  with  you  in  that  language  that  when  I  read  your 
letter  it  seemed  as  if  you  were  talking  to  me,  and  even  if  a  little  error  of 
idiom  should  now  and  then  occur  it  is  rather  agreeable  than  otherwise, 
and  gives  a  naivete  to  your  style 

We  have  hitherto  had  a  most  laborious,  fatiguing,  but  wild,  romantic, 
and  delightful  tour.  I  can  hardly  imagine  that  I  am  travelling  in  one  of 
the  old  and  civilized  countries  of  Europe.  Nothing  in  the  savage  parts 
of  my  own  country  and  among  its  native  savages  could  be  more  original 
and  wild  than  some  of  our  mountain  scramblings  among  the  mountains 
of  the  Alpujarras. 

I  took  a  last  look  at  Granada  from  the  height  on  the  road  of  Padul, 
where  the  unfortunate  King  Boabdil  wept  as  he  was  about  to  lose  sight  of 
his  late  capital  forever.  It  still  bears  the  poetical  name  of  el  suspiro  del 
Moro,  and  they  pretend  to  show  in  a  rock  the  print  of  the  hoofs  of  Boab- 
dil's  horse,  when  he  stood  as  his  rider  gazed  with  tearful  eyes  upon  Gra 
nada.  The  view  is  from  amidst  arid  hills.  You  have  a  mere  peep  at  a 
part  of  the  vega,  and  you  see  Granada  glittering  beyond,  with  the  red 
tower  of  the  Alhambra  surrounded  by  tufted  groves.  As  you  turn  from 
this  scene  to  pursue  the  route  of  the  unfortunate  king,  a  dreary  waste  of 
naked  and  sunburnt  mountains  extends  before  you.  Poor  Boabdil  may 
have  contemplated  it  as  emblematical  of  his  lot.  He  had  turned  his  back 
upon  all  that  was  sweet  and  pleasant  in  life,  and  a  stern,  and  rugged,  and 
joyless  futurity  lay  before  him. 

In  the  course  of  our  progress  through  the  mountains,  after  leaving  the 
beautiful  village  of  Lanjaron,  we  fell  in  with  a  singular  character,  just 
at  the  foot  of  one  of  the  wildest  and  most  solitary  passes.  He  had  all 
the  air  of  one  of  those  predatory  rovers  who  hover  like  hawks  among  the 
Spanish  mountains  to  pounce  upon  the  traveller.  He  was  mounted  on  a 
young  and  active  mule  that  bounded  among  the  rocks  like  a  goat.  He 
wore  the  Andalusian  hat  and  jacket,  and  pantaloons  bordered  by  silver 
lace  ;  a  cartridge  belt  of  crimson  velvet  slung  over  one  shoulder  and 
passing  under  the  other  arm  ;  two  carabines  slung  behind  his  saddle, 
pistols  in  front,  a  cutlass  by  his  side,  a  long  Spanish  knife  in  the  pocket 
of  his  vest,  in  a  sheath  ornamented  with  silver.  He  was  a  complete  sub- 


102  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

ject  for  Wilkie's  pencil.  He  joined  us  and  kept  with  us  for  the  rest  ol 
the  morning,  through  some  savage  denies  of  the  mountains.  We  were 
somewhat  puzzled  to  make  out  his  character,  or  to  know  whether  he  were 
bandit,  soldado,  contrabandista,  or  simply  caballero,  for  though  he  talked 
very  freely  about  himself  he  had  the  Andalusian  propensity  of  inventing 
facts  as  fast  as  his  tongue  could  wag.  Stoffregen  took  a  violent  dislike 
to  his  whole  conduct  and  demeanor,  and  as  we  had  but  a  solitary  escopeta 
to  defend  us,  he  seemed  to  think  we  had  fallen  into  very  unsafe  company. 
We  took  a  repast  together  in  a  little  venta  in  a  deep  gorge  of  the  moun 
tains,  and  from  further  conversation  with  our  new  comrade  I  conceived 
a  better  opinion  of  him,  and  considered  him  one  of  the  amusing  Fanfa- 
rons  common  to  this  part  of  Spain.  He-  told  us  he  was  concerned  in  the 
mines  of  Berja  whither  we  were  travelling,  and  offered  to  conduct  us  by  a 
more  direct  route  through  the  mountains,  which  would  save  us  at  least 
half  a  day's  travelling.  After  consulting  with  our  muleteers,  who  we 
found  knew  this  man,  and  confirmed  the  truth  of  what  he  said,  Gessler 
and  myself  concluded  to  follow  the  route  he  pointed  out.  I  found  after 
ward  that  Stoffregen  assented  to  this  change  of  route  only  with  the  ut 
most  repugnance,  and  on  subsequent  reflection  he  was  right,  for  though 
the  man  turned  out  to  be  an  honest  person,  and  the  route  really  was  the 
shortest  and  best,  yet  it  was  extremely  imprudent  in  us  to  put  ourselves 
so  completely  under  the  guidance  of  an  utter  stranger  in  those  wild 

regions,  so  infested  by  desperate  characters Toward  sunset 

we  arrived  at  the  village  of  Cadiar,  surrounded  by  olive  orchards,  with  a 
small  vega,  through  which  ran  the  river  bordered  with  willows.  Here 
we  put  up  at  one  of  the  most  wretched  posadas  I  ever  met  with  in  Spain. 
Our  caballero  andante  introduced  us  to  a  family  of  his  relations,  Ihe  prin 
cipal  persons  of  the  place,  who  lived  in  a  spacious  and  well-furnished 
mansion,  and  who  pressed  us  to  take  up  our  lodgings  with  them  for  the 
night,  but  we  preferred  the  independence  of  our  miserable  posada.  The 
next  morning  we  resumed  our  journey,  and  the  caballero  andante  sent  a 
guide  with  us  to  show  us  the  way  through  some  of  the  intricate  parts  of 
the  mountains,  and  lent  us  one  of  his  carabines  as  an  additional  security. 
He  turned  out  to  be  a  sergeant  oi  a  company  of  Douaniers.  It  was  in 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  103 

this  day's  journey  that  we  passed  through  some  scenes,  the  extraordinary 
rudeness  and  savage  sublimity  of  which  I  shall  never  forget.  Those  who 
would  know  the  Alpujarras  in  their  true  wildness  must  explore  such 
lonely  passes.  We  were  at  one  time  on  the  dizzy  verge  of  vast  preci 
pices,  with  a  chaos  of  marble  mountains  spread  before  us  ;  at  other  times 
we  travelled  through  deep  barrancos  and  ramblas,  with  red  rocks  of  im 
mense  height  absolutely  impending  over  us.  Our  muleteer  and  our  esco-* 
peta  proceeded  warily  and  took  every  precaution  to  guard  against  attack, 
for  it  is  in  these  savage  and  solitary  defiles  that  the  traveller  is  exposed 
to  most  danger 

In  the  loneliest  and  most  savage  parts  of  these  scenes  the  cross  by  the 
roadside  gives  an  inexpressible  touch  of  horror.  It  is  generally  in  some 
turn  or  angle  of  the  road  where  the  murderer  could  lie  in  wait,  or  on  the 
brow  of  some  hill  where  he  could  see  from  afar  the  approach  of  the  un 
fortunate  traveller.  As  the  most  beautiful  scenes  of  nature  derive  ten 
fold  interest  by  anything  that  indicates  the  cheerful  residence  of  man,  so 
the  wildest  and  most  awful  scenes  derive  tenfold  horror  from  these 
mementos  of  human  crime  and  passion.  The  cross  stuck  in  the  fissure 
of  a  rock  by  the  roadside  in  a  mountain  pass  of  a  deep  broken  bar- 
ranco,  spreads  a  character  of  ferocity  over  the  whole  scene. 
•  Our  mode  of  travelling  in  these  parts  has  in  it  something  that  partakes 
of  the  rude  nature  of  the  country.  Our  muleteers  have  the  air  of  verita 
ble  brigands,  and  doubtless  now  and  then  indulge  in  the  profession  as  a 
gentleman  occasionally  lays  by  his  humanity  and  indulges  in  the  pleas 
ures  of  the  chase.  Our  repasts  are  in  the  true  brigand  style  ;  sometimes 
at  a  brook  among  the  rocks  by  the  roadside,  sometimes  on  the  sea-shore 
under  the  shade  of  a  fisherman's  hovel,  sometimes  on  the  brow  of  a  moun 
tain.  You  cannot  conceive  the  luxury  of  these  repasts  in  the  open  air,  in 
wild  and  picturesque  places  ;  and  how  charmingly  the  magic  leather  bot 
tle  of  Gessler  diffuses  an  enchantment  over  the  scene 

We  have  been  greatly  pleased  with  our  sojourn  at  Malaga.  It  is  a 
finely  situated  place,  in  a  fertile  valley  surrounded  by  mountains,  and 
open  to  the  Mediterranean.  We  have  had  beautiful  moonlight  nights,  and 


104  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

you  can  have  no  idea  of  the  charming  appearance  of  one  of  these  south 
ern  Mediterranean  ports  by  moonlight. 

From  Malaga,  where  he  passed  several  days,  Mr.  Ir 
ving  "  took  the  circuitous  route  to  Gibraltar  by  the  moun 
tains  of  Eonda."  "  The  people  of  these  mountains,"  he 
writes,  "  are  the  finest  I  have  seen  in  Spain,  and  the  con- 
trabandista  of  Honda  is  the  knight  errant  of  the  Spanish 
vulgar."  He  remained  four  days  at  Gibraltar,  then  pro 
ceeded  to  Cadiz,  which  he  pronounces  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  cities  he  had  ever  seen,  and  after  remaining 
there  part  of  two  days,  he  embarked  on  a  steamboat  for 
Seville,  where  he  landed  the  same  day. 

To  Peter  he  writes  the  day  after  his  arrival  at  Seville, 
which  he  considered  the  end  of  his  tour : — 

Wilkie  is  here  and  will  remain  here  a  few  days  longer,  when  he  returns 
to  Madrid,  and  thence  proceeds  to  Paris.  He  has  sketched  out  on  can 
vas  his  "  Defense  of  Saragossa,"  in  which  he  has  introduced  an  excellent 
likeness  of  Palafox.  The  Prince  Dolgorouki  writes  to  me  in  the  highest 
terms  of  this  picture.  My  stay  in  Seville  is  uncertain.  I  have  not  seen 
the  libraries.  I  shall  probably  remain  here  some  weeks,  till  I  can  get 
the  work  we  talked  of  in  order  for  the  press. 

The  work  here  alluded  to  was  the  "Conquest  of  Gra 
nada,"  which  he  had  brought  with  him  in  an  unfinished 
state  from  Madrid.  "If  I  continue  in  motion,"  he  adds, 
"  I  shall  lose  the  fall  season.  I  think  a  little  close  appli 
cation  and  hard  work  will  soon  get  all  in  train."  He  also 
anticipated  the  necessity  of  considerable  emendations  in 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  105 

the  second  edition  of  "  Columbus,"  from  some  English 
publications  which  Murray  had  sent  him,  and  3ome  cur 
tailments  to  reduce  the  volume  of  the  work. 

Instead  of  the  few  weeks  which  he  speaks  of  as  the 
probable  limit  of  his  stay  in  Seville,  his  sojourn  in  that 
beautiful  city  and  its  vicinity  was  prolonged  to  more 
than  a  year. 


CHAPTER 


EXTRACTS  FROM  DIARY. — WILKIE  AND  THE  PAINTING  OF  "  ST.  THOMAS."— 
LETTER  TO  ALEXANDER  II.  EVERETT. — LETTER  TO  PRINCE  DOLGOROUKI.-— 
CHARACTER  OF  THE  ANDALUSIANS. —  LETTER  TO  MADEMOISELLE  BOLL- 
VILLER. —  BULL-FIGHTS,  HIS  NOTION  OF. —  SAN  JUAN  DE  ALFARACHE. — 
RELICS  OF  MOORISH  LABOR  AND  MOORISH  TASTE. 


INTRODUCE  a  few  extracts  from  his  diary  :— 

Friday,  April  18th. — Went  with  Wilkio  and  Mr. ,  and 

a  young  gentleman  of  Lima  to  see  the  church  of  La  Caridad 
— noble  painting  of  Moses  striking  the  rock — opposite,  the  miracle  of  the 
loaves  and  fishes. 

Went  into  chapel  of  St.  Thomas — saw  St.  Thomas,  by ,  fine  paint 
ing — much  admired  by  Wilkie.  [The  artist  for  whose  name  Mr.  Irving, 
when  making  his  record,  was  evidently  at  a  loss,  was  Zurbaran,  who  pre 
ceded  Murillo  ;  the  painting,  St.  Thomas  Aquinas.  I  have  heard  him 
speak  of  the  impression  it  produced  on  Wilkie,  who  stood  gazing  at  it  for 
a  long  while  in  deep  admiration,  and  then  gave  vent  to  his  surprise  at  the 
early  perfection  of  Spanish  art :  "  And  this  they  had  before  Murillo  ! "] 

Tuesday,  April  22d. — Sat  to  Wilkie  this  morning  for  a  sketch  of  my 
portrait — go  with  him  and  Sig. to  the  library  of  the  city — small  col 
lection — old  friar  very  kind  and  attentive — likenesses  of  Murillo  and 
Velasquez  painted  by  themselves. 

Wednesday,  %3d. — Write  letter  to  Mr.  Everett — call  on  Wilkie,  who 
finishes  my  portrait — dine  with  Gessler  and  Stoffregen  at  Mrs.  Stalker's 
[an  English  boarding-house], 

106 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING.  107 

I  give  the  letter  to  Mr.  Everett,  which  is  in  answer  to 
one  referring  to  a  notice  of  "  Columbus  "  from  the  Lon 
don  "  Times,"  and  announcing  his  intention  of  preparing 
a  review  of  the  work  for  the  "  North  American,"  in  which 
it  appeared  in  the  succeeding  January. 

[To  Mr.  Alexander  II.  Everett.] 

SEVILLE,  April  23,  1828. 

MT  DEAR  SIR  : — 

.  .  .  .  I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  kind  interest  you  express 
in  my  literary  concerns,  and  am  happy  to  find  you  intend  to  review  my 
work,  as  I  am  sure  it  will  meet  with  a  fair  and  able  criticism  from  your 
pen.  Mr.  Rich  has  inclosed  me  the  review  from  the  "Times."  I  rather 
derive  encouragement  from  it  than  otherwise.  The  great  fault  found  by 
the  critic  is,  that  my  work  contains  but  little  novelty  of  fact,  the  main 
body  of  information  being  already  in  existence  in  the  works  of  Las  Casas, 
Hcrrera,  and  Fernando  Colon.  He  ought  to  have  added  Peter  Martyr 
and  the  Curate  de  los  Palacios.  This  is  only  to  say  what  I  have  said 
myself  in  my  preface,  that  the  information  relative  to  Columbus  was  scat 
tered  through  a  variety  of  works,  and  substantiates  my  assertion  that  a 
history  combining  all  that  had  been  related  by  different  historians  as  well 
as  the  minor  but  very  interesting  facts  existing  in  various  documents  re 
cently  discovered,  was  a  desideratum  in  literature.  What  general  reader 
will  hunt  up  tho  various  works  I  have  mentioned  to  obtain  from  them 
full  information  respecting  Columbus  and  his  voyages  ?  yet  unless  he 
read  them  all  he  will  be  but  partially  informed  on  the  subject. 

The  English  reader  hitherto  has  derived  his  information  on  this  head 
almost  exclusively  from  the  notice  of  Columbus  in  Dr.  Robertson's  his 
tory  ;  this,  though  admirably  executed,  is  but  a  general  outline.  It  occu 
pies  one  hundred  and  twenty  or  thirty  pages.  I  found  a  faithful  narra 
tion  of  all  that  was  likely  to  be  interesting  to  the  reader,  particularly  the 
American  reader,  would  occupy  at  least  one  thousand.  No  one  is  more 


108  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

likely  to  be  well  informed  on  this  subject  than  yourself,  and  I  recollect 
in  a  conversation  with  you  at  the  time  I  undertook  the  work  you  expressed 
your  surprise  that  no  complete  history  of  Columlvis  was  in  existence. 

If,  therefore,  cs  this  critic  says,  my  work  is  "elegantly  and  agreeably 
Written,"  so  as  to  form  to  those  who  learn  the  history  of  Columbus  from 
it  for  the  first  time,  "a  most  delightful  production,"  I  have  in  a  great 
measure  attained  my  end. 

I  have  received  much  encouragement  from  various  private  letters,  ex 
pressing  the  opinions  of  my  correspondents  themselves,  and  others  of 
note,  particularly  of  Sir  James  Mackintosh,  who  has  been  very  flattering 
in  his  eulogiums. 

As  to  Murray,  he  sends  me  a  verbal  message  by  Mr.  Rich,  requesting 
alterations  and  corrections,  instead  of  writing  particularly  to  me  on  the 
subject.  I  have  always  foreseen  that  there  would  be  many  corrections 
required  in  the  second  edition,  and  would  have-  been  glad  to  have  had 
any  errors  I  had  committed  clearly  pointed  out  that  I  might  amend 
them. 

I  have  visited  the  archives  of  the  Indias,  and  presented  a  letter  of  in 
troduction  to  the  chief.  He  tells  me,  however,  that  it  is  necessary  to 
have  an  express  order  from  the  king  before  I  can  inspect  the  archives  or 
make  any  extracts  or  copies.  I  wish  very  much  to  examine  some  docu 
ments  prior  to  publishing  the  second  edition  of  my  work.  Can  you, 
without  inconvenience,  in  your  intercourse  at  court  prcporcionar  me  an 
order  of  the  kind  ? 

Mr.  Wilkie  leaves  Seville  to-morrow  in  the  diligence  for  Madrid,  where 
lie  proposes  to  remain  a  week  and  then  to  continue  on  to  Paris. 

T  have  been  much  interested  in  visiting  some  of  the  masterpieces  of  the 
Spanish  painters  with  him.  His  observations  on  paintings  are  full  of 
maxims  on  the  art,  and  of  maxims  that  apply  to  art  generally.  You  will 
find  a  conversation  with  him  on  his  return  extremely  gratifying,  and  he 
jdll  feel  a  pleasure  in  conversing  with  you,  for  he  entertains  a  very  high 
opinion  of  you  as  well  as  a  grateful  sense  of  the  kind  services  you  bava 
rendered  him 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  1()9 

Mr.  Irving  parted  with  Wilkie  on  the  24th  of  April, 
and  soon  after  changed  his  lodgings  from  the  Fonda  de 
la  Reyna  to  Mrs.  Stalker's,  where  he  remained  during  the 
months  of  May  and  June.  Here  he  formed  the  acquaint 
ance  of  John  Nalder  Hall,  a  young  Englishman  in  deli 
cate  health,  of  whom  mention  will  be  made  hereafter. 

The  three  letters  which  follow  were  addressed  from 
these  quarters. 

[To  Mr.  Alexander  H.  Everett.'} 

SEVILLE,  May  7, 1828. 
MY  DEAR  SIR  : — 

.  .  .  .  I  cannot  tell  you  how  gratified  I  am  by  the  very  favorable 
opinion  you  have  expressed  of  my  work.  To  tell  you  the  truth,  I  stood  in 
great  awe  of  your  opinion.  I  knew  you  to  be  more  competent  than  most 
men  to  judge  in  the  matter,  and  that  you  had  a  terribly  keen  searching 
eye  in  literature  as  well  as  politics.  1  can  only  say  that  since  I  read  your 
letter  my  mind  has  been  relieved  from  a  thousand  doubts  and  anxieties, 
and  I  have  enjoyed  a  tranquillity  as  to  the  ultimate  success  of  my  work, 
which  none  of  the  previous  letters  I  had  received  from  my  friends  has 
been  able  to  produce. 

I  shall  immediately  set  about  the  corrections  for  the  second  edition, 
which  I  perceive  will  be  by  no  means  so  important  as  I  had  apprehended. 

As  to  visiting  the  archives  here,  if  it  is  a  matter  of  such  difficulty  on 
the  part  of  the  government,  I  would  not  wish  you  to  press  it.  I  had  sup 
posed  a  simple  application  would  have  been  sufficient.  There  are  some 
documents  concerning  Columbus  of  which  Mr.  Navarrete  has  obtained 
copies,  which  he  intends  to  publish  in  his  third  volume,  and  of  which  I 
have  never  been  able  to  obtain  a  full  sight  at  Madrid.  I  should  have 
wished  to  get  a  sight  of  these,  as  I  fear  the  third  volume  of  Mr.  Navar- 
rete  will  be  as  long  in  making  its  appearance  as  the  Jewish  Messiah.  It 
is  not,  however,  a  matter  of  much  moment. 


110  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

The  documents  are  probably  of  greater  importance  in  the  eyes  of  Mr. 
Navarrete  than  they  would  be  in  the  eyes  of  the  public,  and  I  believe  1 
have  already  either  ascertained  or  divined  the  substance  of  them.  When 
Mr.  Rich  returns,  he  will  probably  be  able  to  procure  me  a  copy  of  Navar- 
rete's  third  volume,  if  it  is  actually  in  the  press 


[To  Prince  Demetri  Ivanovitch  Dolgorouki.~\ 

SEVILLE,  May  18,  1828. 
MT  DEAR  DOLGOROUKI  : — 

.  .  .  .  You  talk  in  your  letters  of  the  possibility  of  your  paying 
Seville  a  visit.  I  fear  you  will  defer  it  till  after  my  departure.  The 
weather  will  soon  be  too  hot  to  admit  of  your  travelling  so  far  to  the 
south  ;  and  I  question  my  remaining  here  until  the  cool  autumnal 
months.  Nothing  would  give  me  greater  pleasure  than  to  ramble  about 
Seville  and  its  vicinity,  in  company  with  you.  It  is  a  place  full  of  inter 
est,  both  as  it  relates  to  works  of  art,  and  to  the  character  of  the  place 
itself  and  its  inhabitants. 

The  Andalusians  are  further  removed  from  the  rest  of  Europeans  in 
their  characteristics,  than  any  of  the  people  of  Spain  that  I  have  soen. 
They  belong  more  to  Africa  in  many  of  their  traits  and  habitudes  ;  and 
when  I  am  mingling  among  them  in  some  of  their  old  country  towns,  I 
can  scarcely  persuade  myself  that  the  expulsion  of  the  Moors  has  been 
anything  more  than  nominal. 

Stoffregen  has  no  doubt  given  you  an  account  of  a  great  cattle  fair, 
which  we  visited  a  few  leagues  from  Seville.  When  I  was  in  the  centre 
of  this  fair,  with  tents  pitched  around  me,  droves  of  cattle,  and  troops  of 
horsemen  in  the  Andalusian  costume  riding  about  the  fields  in  every  direc 
tion,  I  could  scarce  persuade  myself  that  I  was  in  Europe,  and  that  it  was 
not  a  wild,  roving  encampment  of  some  predatory  Arab  army. 

The  churches  here  would  furnish  you  with  continual  banquets.  They 
are  extremely  rich  in  paintings,  and,  what  gives  the  greatest  zest  to  your 
enjoyment,  is  the  idea  that  these  paintings  are  but  little  known  to  the 
world  at  large.  They  are  not  like  the  great  paintings  of  Italy,  which 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  HI 

have  been  admired  and  extolled  and  criticised,  and  written  about  by  every 
connoisseur  or  would-be  connoisseur,  who  has  made  the  grand  tour.  A 
celebrated  Italian  painting  is  like  the  belle  of  a  metropolis,  who  is  so 
much  admired  and  talked  about  that  the  imagination  grows  weary  of  her ; 
she  seems  to  grow  stale  and  common  both  to  eye  and  ear  ;  but  one  of  these 
Spanish  masterpieces,  in  an  obscure  convent  seldom  visited  by  the  foot  of 
a  traveller,  is  like  a  beauty  in  a  country  village,  fresh  and  sweet  from 
being  rarely  seen  and  stared  at.  For  my  part,  I  feel  less  interest  in  great 
belles  or  great  paintings,  which  all  the  world  know  and  admire,  than  I  do 
m  those  out-of-the-way  beauties  which  one  seems  to  have  discovered.  In 
deed  I  carry  this  so  far  that  I  have  two  or  three  delicious  little  Murillos 
which  I  have  found  out  in  obscure  and  almost  remote  chapels  or  convents, 
and  which  I  in  a  manner  keep  to  myself.  I  carry  on  a  kind  of  intrigue 
with  them,  visiting  them  quietly  and  alone  ;  and  I  cannot  tell  you  what 
delightful  moments  I  pass  in  their  company  ;  enhanced  by  the  idea  of 
their  being  so  private  and  retired.  The  moment  a  painting  is  drawn 
forth  from  its  native  chapel  or  convent,  and  introduced  upon  town  in  a 
public  gallery,  it  loses  half  its  charms  with  me  ;  and  as  to  those  renowned 
' '  virgins  "  who  are  visited  by  all  the  rabble  rout  of  travellers,  they  are 
not  ladies  for  my  money. 

May  21st. — You  tell  me  you  are  studying  the  English  again  ;  are  you 
really  studying  it,  or  only  dipping  into  it  occasionally,  leaving  intervals 
sufficient  between  your  lessons  to  forget  them.  A  few  weeks'  steady  ap 
plication  would  put  you  in  complete  possession  of  the  language,  and  I 
should  be  delighted  when  next  we  meet  to  have  a  free  medium  of  com 
munication  between  us.  I  fear  I  shall  never  acquire  sufficient  fluency  in 
the  French  to  speak  it  with  ease  and  pleasure.  .  I  always  feel  shackled  in 
it,  and  cannot  express  all  that  I  think,  nor  give  any  turn  or  coloring  to 
my  thoughts  ;  and  what  is  social  intercourse  when  one  has  to  struggle 
with  such  impediments  ?  Do  therefore  study  English  a  little  for  my  sake, 
and  now  and  then  take  an  extra  lesson  merely  as  an  act  of  friendship. 

You  say  you  are  in  a  state  of  warfare  with  Mademoiselle  Antoinette  ; 
do  not  expect  any  aid  or  connivance  on  my  part.  I  am  her  most  faithful 
ally,  and  shall  certainly  take  her  part  if  you  dare  to  advance  beyond  the 


112  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

Pruth.     In  the  meantime,  until  I  see  hostilities  actually  commenced,  I 
remain  as  ever,  your  assured  friend, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 


[To  Mademoiselle  Bollviller,  jfadrid.] 

SEVILLE,  May  28, 1828. 

I  have  suffered  some  time  to  elapse,  my  dear  Mademoiselle  Antoinette, 
without  replying  to  your  charming  letter,  but  I  have  had  a  long  arrearage 
of  letters  to  pay  off  to  correspondents  in  Europe  and  America  and  many 
lie  by  me  yet  unanswered.  0  !  this  continually  accumulating  debt  of 
correspondence  !  It  grows  while  we  sleep,  and  recurs  as  fast  as  we  can 
pay  it  off.  Would  that  I  had  the  turn  and  taste  for  letter-writing  of  our 
friend  the  prince,  to  whom  it  seems  a  perfect  delight  ;  who,  like  an  in 
dustrious  spider,  can  sit  in  that  little  dark  room  and  spin  out  a  web  of 
pleasant  fancies  from  his  own  brain  ;  or  rather,  to  make  a  more  gracious 
comparison,  like  a  honey  bee  goes  humming  about  the  world,  and  when 
he  has  visited  every  flower,  returns  buzz — buzz — buzz  to  his  little  hive, 
and  works  all  that  he  has  collected  into  a  perfect  honey-comb  of  a  letter. 
For  my  part,  I  know  no  greater  delight  than  to  receive  letters  ;  but  the 
replying  to  them  is  a  grievous  tax  upon  my  negligent  nature.  I  some 
times  think  one  of  the  greatest  blessings  we  shall  enjoy  in  heaven,  will  be 
to  receive  letters  by  every  post  and  never  be  obliged  to  reply  to  them. 

Do  not  think,  however,  that  what  I  have  said  applies  to  my  correspond 
ence  with  you  ;  or  with  that  truly  good  boy,  the  prince.  With  me  it  is 
in  letter-writing  as  in  conversation,  I  must  feel  a  particular  interest  in  a 
person  to  be  able  to  acquit  myself  with  any  degree  of  attention  and  ani 
mation  in  either  ;  but  there  are  those  with  whom  it  is  a  real  pleasure, 
both  to  converse  and  correspond.  It  is  the  number  of  uninteresting  per 
sons  with  whom  one  must  keep  up  correspondence  and  conversation  of 
mere  civility  that  makes  a  toil  of  the  common  intercourse  of  life. 

You  tell  me  you  have  been  at  a  bull-fight,  and  that  you  have  renounced 
all  amusements  of  the  kind  forever.  I  should  be  much  mistaken  in  the 
opinion  I  have  formed  of  you,  could  you  really  relish  those  barbarous 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  113 

spectacles.  Depend  upon  it,  it  is  neither  the  better  nor  the  braver  parts 
of  our  nature  that  is  gratified  by  them.  There  appears  to  me  a  mixture 
of  cowardice  and  ferocity  in  looking  on  in  selfish  security  and  enjoying 
the  perils  and  sufferings  of  others.  The  "  divinity  that  dwells  within  us  " 
has  nothing  to  do  with  pleasures  of  the  kind  ;  they  belong  to  our  earthly, 
our  gross  and  savage  nature.  I  have  sunk  considerably  in  my  own  esti 
mation  since  I  have  found  T  could  derive  gratification  from  these  sights  ; 
I  should  have  been  grieved  to  find  you  as  bad  in  this  respect  as  myself. 

I  am  sorry  to  hear  that  you  are  to  pass  your  summer  in  Madrid  and 
not  to  visit  Aranjuez  or  La  Granja.  What  a  pity  that  the  diplomatic 
circle  should  be  doomed  to  the  sterile  monotony  of  that  city  of  the  desert ; 
what  a  residence  this  Seville  might  be  made  for  a  court  !  Such  a  heav 
enly  climate  and  delightful  neighborhood  ;  such  fine  rides,  such  pleasant 
country  retreats,  such  water  excursions  on  the  Guadalquivir  !  I  have 
visited  some  lovely  places  in  the  vicinity  ;  and  whenever  I  find  any  situa 
tion  peculiarly  delicious,  I  am  sure  to  find  that  it  has  been  a  favorite 
resort  of  those  noble  fellows,  the  Moors. 

1  made  an  excursion  a  few  days  since  down  the  Guadalquivir  to  an  old 
convent,  called  S.  Juan  de  Alfarache,  which  is  built  among  the  ruins  of  a 
Moorish  castle,  and  I  dined  at  a  country  seat  in  the  neighborhood,  which 
had  been  the  retreat  of  some  Moorish  family.  You  cannot  imagine 
scenery  more  soft,  graceful,  luxuriant,  and  beautiful.  These  retreats  are 
built  along  the  side  of  a  ridge  of  hills  overlooking  the  fertile  valley  of  the 
Guadalquivir,  and  the  serpentine  windings  of  that  river,  with  Seville  and 
its  towers  rising  at  a  distance,  and  the  Ronda  mountains  bounding  the 
landscape.  But  consider  all  this  ridge  of  hills  and  the  valley  immediately 
below  you  a  perfect  garden,  filled  with  oranges,  citrons,  figs,  grapes, 
pomegranates  ;  hedged  by  the  aloe  and  the  Indian  fig  in  blossom  ;  the 
whole  country  covered  with  flowers,  such  as  in  other  countries  are  raised 
in  hot-houses,  but  here  growing  wild  ;  for  the  very  weeds  are  flowers  and 
aromatic  plants.  Fancy  all  this  lovely  landscape  rendered  fresh  and 
sweet  by  recent  showers,  the  soft  air  loaded  with  fragrance  and  the  hum 
of  bees  on  every  side,  and  the  songs  of  thousands  of  nightingales  remind 
ing  you  of  spring-time  and  the  season  of  flowers. 
VOL.  n. — 8 


114  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

In  these  country-seats  one  continually  meets  with  the  relics  of  Moorish 
labor  and  Moorish  taste  ;  channels  cut  into  the  sides  of  the  hills,  through 
the  living  rock,  in  search  of  choice  springs  of  cold  and  delicate  water,  and 
basins  and  fountains  to  collect  it  and  to  cool  the  courts  and  halls  of  the 

mansions. 

• 

The  pleasantest  excursion,  however,  that  I  have  made  from  Seville  was 
to  Alcala  de  la  Guadayra.  It  is  situated  on  the  Guadayra,  a  beautiful 
little  winding  stream  that  throws  itself  into  the  Guadalquivir  near  to 
Seville.  At  Alcala  there  are  noble  remains  of  an  immense  Moorish  castle, 
the  towers  and  walls  in  fine  preservation. 

Nothing  can  be  more  charming  than  the  windings  of  the  little  river 
among  banks  hanging  with  gardens  and  orchards  of  all  kinds  of  delicate 
southern  fruits,  and  tufted  with  flowers  and  aromatic  plants.  The 
nightingales  throng  this  lovely  little  valley  as  numerously  as  they  do  the 
gardens  of  Aranjuez.  Every  bend  of  the  river  presents  a  new  landscape, 
for  it  is  beset  by  old  Moorish  mills  of  the  most  picturesque  forms  ;  each 
mill  having  an  embattled  tower — a  memento  of  the  valiant  tenure  by 
which  those  gallant  fellows,  the  Moors,  held  this  earthly  paradise,  hav 
ing  to  be  ready  at  all  times  for  war,  and  as  it  were  to  work  with  one 
hand  and  fight  with  the  other.  It  is  impossible  to  travel  about  Anda 
lusia  and  not  imbibe  a  kind  feeling  for  those  Moors.  They  deserved  this 
beautiful  country.  They  won  it  bravely  ;  they  enjoyed  it  generously  and 
kindly.  No  lover  ever  delighted  more  to  cherish  and  adorn  a  mistress,  to 
heighten  and  illustrate  her  charms,  and  to  vindicate  and  defend  her 
against  all  the  world  than  did  the  Moors  to  embellish,  enrich,  elevate, 
and  defend  their  beloved  Spain.  Everywhere  I  meet  traces  of  their 
sagacity,  courage,  urbanity,  high  poetical  feeling,  and  elegant  taste.  The 
noblest  institutions  in  this  part  of  Spain,  the  best  inventions  for  com 
fortable  and  agreeable  living,  and  all  those  habitudes  and  customs  which 
throw  a  peculiar  and  oriental  charm  over  the  Andalusian  mode  of  living, 
may  be  traced  to  the  Moors.  Whenever  I  enter  these  beautiful  marble 
patios,  set  out  with  shrubs  and  flowers,  refreshed  by  fountains,  sheltered 
with  awnings  from  the  sun  ;  where  the  air  is  cool  at  noonday,  the  ear 
delighted  in  sultry  summer  by  the  sound  of  falling  water ;  where,  in  a 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  115 

word,  a  little  paradise  is  shut  up  within  the  walls  of  home  ;  I  think  on 
the  poor  Moors,  the  inventors  of  all  these  delights.  I  am  at  times  almost 
ready  to  join  in  sentiment  with  a  worthy  friend  and  countryman  of  mine 
whom  I  met  in  Malaga,  who  swears  the  Moors  are  the  only  people  that 
ever  deserved  the  country,  and  prays  to  heaven  they  may  come  over  from 
Africa  and  conquer  it  again. 

You  promise  to  give  me  the  news  of  the  gay  world  of  Madrid.  I  shall 
be  delighted  to  receive  it  from  you,  but  you  need  not  go  out  of  the  walls 
of  your  own  house  to  find  subjects  full  of  interest  for  me.  Let  me  have 
all  the  news  you  can  of  your  domestic  circle ;  you  have  a  world  within 
yourselves ;  at  least  it  was  all  the  world  to  me  while  at  Madrid.  Stoffre- 
gen,  I  presume,  is  like  Sindbad  when  he  returned  from  his  voyages,  he  has 
so  much  to  relate.  The  prince  talks  something  of  coming  to  Seville.  Is 
there  any  probability  of  it  ?  I  should  mark  the  day  of  his  arrival  witn 
a  white  stone,  and  would  be  delighted  to  be  his  cicerone. 

Tell  me  everything  about  the  children.  I  suppose  the  discreet  princess 
will  soon  consider  it  an  indignity  to  be  ranked  among  the  number.  I  am 
told  she  is  growing  with  might  and  main,  and  is  determined  not  to  stop 
until  she  is  a  woman  outright.  I  would  give  all  the  money  in  my  pocket 
to  be  with  those  dear  little  women  at  the  round  table  in  the  saloon,  or  on 
the  grass-plot  in  the  garden,  to  tell  them  some  marvelous  tales. 

Give  my  kind  remembrances  to  Mr.  and  Madame  D'Oubril,  and  to  all 
the  household,  large  and  small.  I  hope  Mademoiselle  Constance  keeps 
her  little  flock  in  order,  and  that  Madame  Agnes  has  as  great  command 
as  ever  over  the  little  sons.  Tell  my  little  Marie  I  kiss  her  hand  and  hold 
myself  her  loyal  and  devoted  knight.  If  she  wishes  at  any  time  the  head 
of  a  giant  or  the  tail  of  a  fiery  dragon,  she  has  but  to  call  upon  me.  My 
arm  and  my  court  sword  are  always  at  her  command. 

With  the  greatest  regard,  your  friend, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

REMOVES  TO  A  COTTAGE  IN  THE  VICINITY  OF  SEVILLE. — LETTER  TO  ALEXAN 
DER  H.  EVERETT. — LETTER  TO  MADEMOISELLE  BOLLVILLER. — THE  CATHEDRAL 
OF  SEVILLE. — LETTER  TO  PRINCE  DOLGOROUKI.  —  WILKIE. — LETTER  TO 
PETER  IRVING. — "CONQUEST  OF  GRANADA." — ARRANGEMENT  WITH  CAREY. 
— JOURNEY  TO  PALOS. — LETTER  TO  ALEXANDER  H.  EVERETT,  IN  REPLY  TO 
ONE  ANNOUNCING  THE  KING'S  PERMISSION  TO  HIM  TO  INSPECT  THE  AR 
CHIVES  OF  THE  INDIAS,  AND  GIVING  HIM  AN  EXTRACT  FROM  HIS  CRITIQUE 
ON  "  COLUMBUS." 

N  the  first  of  July,  Mr.  Irving  removed  with 
John  Nalder  Hall,  the  young  Englishman  in 
delicate  health,  who  had  been  his  fellow-lodger 
at  Mrs.  Stalker's,  to  a  cottage  in  the  vicinity  of  Seville, 
where  he  passed  six  weeks,  occupied  upon  the  "  Conquest 
of  Granada  "  and  a  second  edition  of  "  Columbus."  This 
cottage  was  inclosed  by  a  high  wall,  and  at  sunset  the 
keeper  shut  the  gates  and  locked  them  in  for  the  night. 
Occasionally  the  gates  were  closed  also  upon  some  sus 
picious-looking  horsemen,  who  would  come  and  go  mys 
teriously,  and  to  whom  the  keeper  would  appear  to  be 
giving  harbor  for  the  night. 

The  record  in  his  diary  of  the  second  day's  sojourn, 
would  seem  to  mark  their  lonely  abode  for  an  ominous 
vicinity. 

116 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING.  H7 

Wednesday,  July  2d. — At  Casa  de  Cera — write  at  "  Granada" — even 
ing  go  out  with  Hall  who  rides  while  I  walk — make  a  tour  by  the  river 
Guadayra — old  Moorish  mill — bridge  near  by,  with  cross  on  it  of  mur 
dered  traveller. 

It  was  from  this  cottage,  in  which  they  hoped  to  get 
through  the  hot  season  better  than  they  should  at  Se 
ville,  that  the  following  letters  were  addressed. 

In  the  second,  which  has  more  or  less  bearing  upon 
his  personal  and  literary  life,  will  be  found  a  description 
of  these  new  quarters,  for  which  he  had  exchanged  his 
English  boarding-house  in  Seville,  and  an  allusion  to  the 
companion  who  shared  them  with  him. 

[To  Mr.  Alexander  H.  Everett] 

SEVILLE,  July  11, 1828. 

MY  DEAR  Sm  : — 

.  .  .  .  I  am  so  much  out  of  the  world  here  that  I  hear  nothing.  A 
newspaper  three  or  four  weeks  old  is  full  of  intelligence  to  me,  and  quite 
fresh  in  its  contents. 

I  have  corrected  my  work  on  Columbus  for  a  second  edition,  as  far  as  I 
heave  the  means  of  doing  so.  Mr.  Rich  writes  me  word  that  Mr.  Navar- 
rcte  says  his  third  volume  will  contain  some  curious  matter  for  my  second 
edition.  ...  I  am  told  his  work  will  not  appear  until  September, 
and  I  presume  we  may  allow  a  still  more  remote  date  in  consequence  of 
the  customary  delays  in  this  country.  I  cannot  defer  the  publication  of 
the  second  edition  for  such  an  indefinite  period.  I  believe  the  most  ma 
terial  facts  Mr.  Navarrete  alludes  to  are  drawn  from  the  papers  of  the 
pleito,  between  the  heirs  of  Christopher  Columbus  and  the  Spanish 
crown.  Should  you  have  occasion  to  see  Mr.  Salmon  in  the  course  of 
your  official  transactions,  I  should  take  it  as  a  kindness  if  you  would  pro" 


118  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

cure  me  an  order  to  inspect  the  papers  and  documents  "  in  the  pleito  be 
tween  the  Admiral  Don  Diego  Colon  and  the  fiscal  of  the  crown,  and  any 
other  papers  that  may  relate  to  the  history  of  Christopher  Columbus." 
The  part  of  the  request  underlined  you  may  omit  should  it  cause  any  diffi 
culty.  I  believe  an  order  will  readily  be  granted  for  any  specific  docu 
ments.  The  difficulty  only  is  with  respect  to  general  requests  to  search  the 
archives.  I  find  great  kindness  and  attention  here  among  the  people  of  the 
cathedral  and  its  librarians.  In  the  course  of  my  rummaging,  I  have  come 
by  chance  upon  a  work  on  Cosmography,  etc. ,  by  the  Cardinal  Pedro  Ali- 
aco,  which  is  cited  by  Las  Casas  as  having  been  several  times  in  his  hands, 
and  full  of  marginal  notes  by  Columbus  and  his  brother,  the  Adelantado. 
I  found  the  precise  work,  with  all  the  marginal  notes,  mostly  in  Latin, 
remarkably  neatly  written.  It  is  curious  in  the  extreme,  as  containing 
relations,  etc.,  of  Columbus,  of  various  things  bearing  upon  his  theory, 
and  written  prior  to  the  discovery.  None  of  the  people  of  the  library 
knew  of  its  being  the  handwriting  of  Columbus  ;  or,  indeed,  seemed  to 
attach  any  particular  value  to  the  book  until  I  made  them  sensible  of  it. 
What  a  prize  this  would  have  been  for  friend  Rich. 

[To  Mademoiselle  Bollviller  Madrid.} 

SEVILLE,  July  20,  1828. 

I  ought  to  make  you  many  excuses,  my  dear  Mademoiselle  Antoinette, 
for  suffering  so  long  a  time  to  elapse  without  writing,  but  the  weather  set 
in  exceedingly  hot,  and  for  a  time  seemed  to  incapacitate  me  for  every 
mental  exertion,  and  I  afterwards  became  unsettled  in  all  my  customary 
habits  by  a  change  of  residence,  having  taken  up  my  quarters  in  a  cottage 
about  half  a  league  from  Seville.  I  shall  now  endeavor  to  get  myself 
"  en  train."  From  what  I  have  written  to  you  about  scenes  in  Andalusia, 
I  find  you  have  taken  an  idea  that  this  is  a  most  lovely  and  most  won 
derful  country  ;  but  you  must  recollect  I  only  speak  of  particular  places 
The  general  appearance  of  Andalusian  plains,  for  a  great  part  of  the  year, 
is  cheerless  and  sunburnt,  from  the  heat  of  the  climate  and  the  want  of 
trees,  that  prevalent  defect  in  Spanish  scenery.  The  cottage  in  which  1 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  119 

am  residing  looks  out  over  an  immense  plain,  called  the  "Tablada,"  which 
is  now  completely  parched,  and  the  air  from  it  as  warm  as  the  vapor  of  a 
furnace.  No  trees  are  to  be  seen,  except  at  a  great  distance  a  few  plan 
tations  of  olives — those  wretched  groves,  which  to  my  eye  make  a  land 
scape  still  more  arid.  The  great  comfort  of  the  cottage  is  a  little  garden 
behind  it  full  of  orange  and  citron  trees,  with  a  porch  overhung  with 
grape-vines  and  jessamines.  I  have  taken  up  my  quarters  here  with  a 
young  English  gentleman,  who  is  in  a  critical  state  of  health  from  having 
broken  a  blood-vessel.  The  place  suits  me  from  its  uninterrupted  quiet. 
The  mornings  and  evenings  are  cool  from  the  prevalence  of  the  sea 
breezes,  and  the  nights  are  delicious.  I  pass  my  time  here,  therefore, 
completely  undisturbed,  having  no  visits  either  to  pay  or  to  receive ;  with 
a  horse  to  ride  about  the  plain  for  exercise,  or  to  take  me  to  Seville  when 
I  wish  to  visit  the  library.  It  is  a  long  time  since  I  have  been  so  tranquil, 
so  completely  insulated,  so  freed  from  the  noises  and  distractions  of  the 
town,  and  I  cannot  tell  you  how  much  I  relish  it.  There  is  a  quiet  and 
deep  enjoyment  in  sitting  out  in  the  air  in  the  still  serenity  of  the  coun 
try,  and  passing  one  of  these  balmy  summer  nights  in  gazing  at  the  stars. 
They  have  the  purity  and  splendor  in  this  clear  atmosphere  which  I  have 
witnessed  nowhere  else  save  in  my  own  country.  Though  within  only  two 
miles  of  Seville,  the  landscape  is  as  solitary  as  it  would  be  at  fifty  miles' 
distance  from  a  town  in  any  other  country  ;  and  nothing  reminds  one  of 
the  vicinity  at  night  but  the  deep  chimes  of  the  cathedral  bells,  which  are 
rich  and  melodious  in  their  tones,  and  have  a  magnificent  sound  as  heard 
across  the  plain.  When  I  get  for  a  time  in  the  country,  even  in  this  com 
fortless  and  melancholy  country  of  Spain,  I  feel  such  a  tranquillity  of  the 
spirits,  such  a  cessation  of  all  those  agitations  and  petty  cares  that  per 
plex  me  in  town,  that  I  wonder  at  having  passed  so  much  of  my  life  in 
scenes  in  which  I  take  so  little  relish,  and  to  which  I  feel  myself  so  little 
adapted.  We  are  great  cheats  to  ourselves,  and  defraud  ourselves  out  of 
a  great  portion  of  this  our  petty  term  of  existence,  filling  it  up  with  idle 
ceremonies  and  irksome  occupations  and  unnecessary  cares.  By  dint  of 
passing  our  time  in  the  distractions  of  a  continual  succession  of  society, 
we  lose  all  intimacy  with  what  ought  to  be  our  best  and  most  cherished 


120  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

society,  ourselves.  And  by  fixing  our  attention  on  the  vapid  amusements 
and  paltry  splendors  of  a  town,  we  lose  all  perceptions  of  the  serene  and 
elevating  pleasures  and  the  magnificent  spectacles  presented  us  by  nature. 
What  soiree  in  Madrid  could  repay  me  for  a  calm,  delicious  evening  passed 
here  among  the  old  trees  of  the  garden,  in  untroubled  thought  or  unbroken 
reverie — or  what  splendor  of  ball-room,  or  court  itself,  can  equal  the  glory 
of  sunset,  or  the  serene  magnificence  of  the  moon  and  stars  shining  so 
clearly  above  me 

21st. — I  have  been  dwelling  most  extravagantly,  you  will  think,  upon 
the  charms  of  country  life,  and  yet  the  deep  chimes  of  the  cathedral  bells 
which  throw  such  a  solemn  charm  over  the  solitary  plain  in  the  evenings, 
seem  to  claim  some  testimony  in  favor  of  that  noble  building.  If  ever 
you  come  to  Seville,  be  sure  to  visit  its  glorious  cathedral.  That,  how 
ever,  you  will  be  sure  to  do ;  your  good  taste  will  not  suffer  you  to  keep 
away,  but  visit  it  more  than  once ;  visit  it  in  the  evenings,  when  the  last 
rays  of  the  sun,  or  rather  the  last  glimmer  of  the  daylight,  is  shining 
through  its  painted  windows.  Visit  it  at  night,  when  its  various  chapels 
are  partially  lighted  up,  its  immense  aisles  are  dimly  illuminated  by  their 
rows  of  silver  lamps,  and  when  mass  is  preparing  amidst  gleams  of  gold 
and  clouds  of  incense  at  its  high  altar.  Visit  it  at  those  times,  and,  if 
possible,  go  alone,  or  with  as  few  gay  ladies  and  gentlemen  as  possible, 
for  they  are  the  worst  kind  of  companions  for  a  cathedral.  I  do  not  think 
altogether,  I  have  ever  been  equally  delighted  with  any  building  of  the 
kind.  It  is  so  majestic,  ample,  and  complete;  so  sumptuous  in  all  its  ap 
pointments,  and  noble  and  august  in  its  ceremonies.  It  is  near  the  house 
where  I  lodged  when  in  Seville,  and  was  my  daily  resort.  Indeed,  I 
often  visited  it  more  than  once  in  the  course  of  the  day.  It  is  delightful 
to  me  to  have  a  grand  and  solemn  building  of  the  kind  near  to  me  in  a 
city.  It  is  a  resort  where  one  gets  rid  of  the  noise,  and  nonsense,  and 
littleness  of  the  petty  world  around  one,  and  can  call  up  in  some  degree 
(though  after  all  but  slightly)  a  glow  of  solemn  and  poetical  feeling  ;  the 
most  difficult  of  all  sentiments  to  be  summoned  up  in  a  city. 

A  quiet  saunter  about  a  cathedral,  particularly  towards  the  evening, 
when  the  shades  are  deeper  and  the  light  of  the  painted  windows  more 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  121 

dim  and  vague,  has  the  effect  upon  me  of  a  "walk  in  onf  of  our  great 
American  forests.  I  cannot  compare  the  scenes,  but  their  sublime  and 
solitary  features  produce  the  same  dilation  of  the  heart  and  swelling  of 
the  spirit,  the  same  aspiring  and  longing  after  something  exalted  and  in 
definite  ;  something — I  know  not  what,  but  something  which  I  feel  this 
world  cannot  give  me.  When  my  eye  follows  up  these  great  clustering 
columns  until  lost  in  the  obscurity  of  the  lofty  and  spacious  vaults,  I  feel 
as  I  have  done  when  gazing  up  along  the  trunks  of  our  mighty  trees  that 
have  stood  for  ages,  and  tracing  them  out  to  the  topmost  branches 
which  tower  out  of  the  brown  forest  into  the  deep  blue  sky — my  thoughts 
and  feelings  seem  carried  up  with  them  until  they  expand  and  are  lost  in 
the  immensity.  I  find  I  am  running  into  very  long  tirades  in  this  letter, 
and  am  spinning  out  thoughts  for  the  want  of  facts  to  relate.  But  I  have 
no  domestic  gossip  nor  the  chit-chat  of  a  circle  of  acquaintances  to  com 
municate,  which  are  the  lively  and  interesting  materials  for  a  letter ;  you 
must  excuse,  therefore,  my  prosing.  Give  my  love  to  all  my  dear  little 
friends  of  the  round  table,  from  the  discreet  princess  down  to  the  little 
blue-eyed  boy.  Tell  la  petite  Marie  that  I  still  remain  true  to  her, 
though  surrounded  by  all  the  beauties  of  Seville,  and  that  I  swear  (but 
this  she  must  keep  between  ourselves)  that  there  is  not  a  little  woman  to 
compare  with  her  in  all  Andalusia.  With  my  kindest  remembrances  to 
Mons.  and  Madame  D'Oubril,  and  to  my  good  friend,  Mile.  Constance,  I 
am,  my  dear  friend,  very  truly  yours, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 


SEVILLE,  July  21, 1828. 
MY   DEAR   DOLGOROUKI  : — 

I  find  if  one  would  not  be  forgotten  by  one's  friends  it  is  necessary  to 
keep  up  a  regular  epistolary  fire  ;  but  what  novelty  can  I  furnish,  vege 
tating  as  I  do  in  the  midst  of  a  sunburnt  Andalusian  plain,  to  you,  sur 
rounded  by  the  bustle  of  a  diplomatic  life,  and  the  gayety  and  gossip  of  a 
capital?  What  can  I  tell  you  of  Seville  that  you  have  not  heard  a  thou 
sand  times?  I  know  nothing  of  its  inhabitants,  for  I  have  not  mingled 
with  them.  As  to  the  famed  beauty  of  its  women,  I  am  inclined  to  set  it 


122  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

down  as  one  of  those  traditional  things  that  has  commenced  in  fact, 
and  been  handed  down  from  age  to  age,  and  from  traveller  to  traveller, 
though  it  has  long  since  become  a  falsehood.  There  are  beautiful  women 
in  Seville,  as  (God  be  praised  for  all  His  mercies)  there  are  in  all  other 
great  cities  ;  but  do  not,  my  worthy  and  inqiiiring  friend,  do  not  come  to 
Seville  as  I  did,  expecting  a  perfect  beauty  to  be  staring  you  in  the  face  at 
every  turn,  or  you  will  be  awfully  disappointed.  Andalusia,  generally 
speaking,  derives  its  renown  for  the  beauty  of  its  women  and  the  beauty 
of  its  landscapes,  from  the  rare  and  captivating  charms  of  individuals. 
The  generality  of  its  female  faces  are  as  sunburnt  and  void  of  bloom  and 
freshness  as  its  plains.  I  am  convinced,  the  great  fascination  of  Spanish 
women  arises  from  their  natural  talent,  their  fire  and  soul,  which  beams 
through  their  dark  and  flashing  eyes,  and  kindle  up  their  whole  counte 
nance  in  the  course  of  an  interesting  conversation.  As  I  have  but  few 
opportunities  of  judging  of  them  in  this  way,  I  can  only  criticise  them 
with  the  eye  of  a  sauntering  observer.  It  is  like  judging  of  a  fountain 
when  it  is  not  in  play,  or  a  fire  when  it  lies  dormant,  and  neither  flames 
nor  sparkles.  After  all,  it  is  the  divinity  within  which  makes  the  divin 
ity  without :  and  I  have  been  more  fascinated  by  a  woman  of  talent  and 
intelligence,  though  deficient  in  personal  charms,  than  I  have  been  by  the 
most  regular  beauty. 

I  presume  your  secretaryship  *  multiplies  your  labors,  and  with  your 
usual  Duende  habits  keeps  you  in  a  continual  bustle.  You  repine  at 
times  at  the  futility  of  the  gay  and  great  world  about  you.  The  world  is 
pretty  much  what  we  make  it ;  and  it  will  be  filled  up  with  nullities  and 
trifles  if  we  suffer  them  to  occupy  our  attention.  My  dear  Prince — I  ask 
pardon— my  dear  Dolgorouki — you  have  everything  before  you,  and  heaven 
has  given  you  talents  to  shape  and  mould  this  gay  chaos  to  your  own 
purposes  if  you  will  but  set  about  it  rightly.  Fix  your  attention  on  noble 
objects  and  noble  purposes,  and  sacrifice  all  temporary  and  trivial  things 
to  their  attainment.  Consider  everything  not  as  to  its  present  importance 
and  effect,  but  with  relation  to  what  it  is  to  produce  some  time  hence.  If 

*  The  Prince,  before  an  attache,  was  r.ow  Secretary  of  Legation  to  the  Russian  em- 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  123 

a  pursuit — whether  it  is  to  lead  to  a  valuable  accomplishment,  to  add  to 
your  stock  of  serviceable  knowledge,  to  increase  your  intellectual  means, 
and  give  future  dignity  to  your  name.  In  society,  let  what  is  merely 
amusing  occupy  but  the  waste  moments  of  your  leisure  and  the  mere  sur 
face  of  your  thoughts  ;  cultivate  such  intimacies  only  as  may  ripen  into 
lasting  friendships,  or  furnish  your  memory  with  valuable  recollections. 
Above  all,  mark  one  line  in  which  to  excel,  and  bend  all  your  thoughts 
and  exertions  to  rise  to  eminence  or  rather  to  advance  towards  perfection 
in  that  line.  In  this  way  you  will  find  your  views  gradually  converging 
towards  one  point,  instead  of  being  distracted  by  a  thousand  objects.  You 
will  be  surprised  how  soon  you  will  become  disentangled  from  the  thou 
sand  petty  cares,  and  petty  pleasures,  and  petty  troubles  that  are  now 
spun  round  you  like  spiders'  webs,  and  you  will  be  surprised  also  to  find 
how  full  of  really  great  objects  the  world  is  around  you,  but  which  you 
were  prevented  from  seeing  by  the  intruding  trifles  at  the  end  of  your  nose. 

Have  you  heard  from  Wilkie  since  his  arrival  in  London  ?  I  am  ex 
tremely  anxious  to  know  how  he  finds  himself  after  his  return  in  his  own 
native  country,  and  how  his  late  paintings  are  relished  by  his  countrymen. 
I  saw  lately  the  portrait  he  made  of  a  little  girl  after  his  return  to  Mad 
rid  ;  it  was  sent  here  to  be  forwarded  to  London.  When  I  recollect  how 
slowly  he  used  to  work  and  how  laboriously  to  finish,  I  am  astonished  to 
perceive  the  facility  with  which  he  has  adopted  so  opposite  a  manner.  I 
think  he  has  gained  greatly  in  the  freedom  of  his  pencil  and  the  general 
effect  of  his  paintings. 

You  once  offered  me  a  Spanish  work,  entitled,  I  think,  "El  origen  de 
los  Indias."  I  am  just  now  engaged  in  some  researches  in  which  I  wish 
to  consult  it,  but  cannot  procure  it  in  this  place.  If  you  have  an  oppor 
tunity,  I  wish  you  would  send  it  to  me,  and  I  will  return  it  when  I  have 
done  with  it. 

I  regret  extremely  that  there  is  no  likelihood  of  your  visiting  Seville 

while  I  am  here The  chances  of  my  return  to  Madrid  are 

verv  slight,  yet  1  cannot  endure  the  idea  that  I  am  to  leave  Spain  without 
seeing  anything  more  of  any  of  your  household.  But  to  return  to  Madrid 
would  interfere  with  all  my  plans,  and  throw  me  again  into  the  midst  of 


124  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

friendly  connections  from  which  it  would  cost  me  painful  exertions  again 

to  tear  myself 

Farewell,  my  dear  Dolgorouki.    Your  friend, 

WASHINGTON  IRYING. 

On  the  eleventh  of  August,  Mr.  Irving  set  out  in  a 
calesa,  on  a  rough  journey  to  Palos,  fourteen  leagues  dis 
tant,  whence  the  little  squadron  of  Columbus  made  sail 
for  the  New  World.  He  gave  to  the  public  an  interest 
ing  sketch  of  this  visit  in  the  Appendix  to  the  second 
edition  of  "  Columbus,"  and  the  reader  will  also  find 
some  allusion  to  it  in  the  following  letter  to  Mr.  Everett, 
which  is  in  reply  to  one  from  that  gentleman,  inclosing  a 
letter  from  Mr.  Salmon,  the  Secretary  of  State,  announc 
ing  the  king's  permission  for  him  to  inspect  the  archives 
of  the  Indias,  and  giving  him  an  extract  from  a  critique 
on  "  Columbus,"  which  he  was  preparing  for  the  "  North 
American  Review." 

[To  Mr.  Alexander  H.  Everett.] 

SEVILLE,  August  20,  1828. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  : — 

Your  letter  of  the  12th  inst.  has  made  me  most  deeply  and  irretrievably 
your  debtor.  I  thank  you  a  thousand  times  for  your  persevering  kind 
ness  in  procuring  me  the  royal  permission  to  inspect  the  archives  of  the 
Indias ;  and  I  cannot  but  feel  gratified  by  the  very  handsome  manner  in 
which  it  was  communicated  to  you  by  the  prime  minister.  I  believe  the 
keeper  of  the  archives  had  not  received  the  order,  but  the  moment  he  read 
the  letter  of  Mr.  Salmon,  he  put  everything  at  my  disposition,  and  he  and 
his  colleagues  have  shown  me  the  most  particular  and  unremitted  atten- 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  125 

tions  whenever  I  have  visited  the  archives  since.  I  find  nothing  relative 
to  Columbus  that  has  not  been  published  by  Navarrete,  excepting  the 
documents  in  the  lawsuit  between  the  heirs  of  Columbus  and  the  Fiscal, 
from  which  I  have  made  some  minutes. 

You  are  the  best  judge  of  the  propriety  of  presenting  a  copy  of  my 
work  to  the  king,  and  I  will  thank  you  to  do  as  you  think  proper  in  the 
business.  I  should  have  felt  diffident  of  such  a  thing,  as  savoring  of  the 
vanity  of  authorship,  had  the  idea  originated  with  myself,  but  I  have  no 
hesitation  when  sanctioned  by  your  advice.  I  beg  you  will  also  express  to 
Mr.  Salmon  how  much  I  feel  indebted  to  him  for  his  repeated  courtesies. 

The  extract  from  your  critique  on  ' '  Columbus  "  is  so  exceedingly  flat 
tering,  that  it  quite  agitates  me.  If  I  thought  I  could  really  merit  the 
extent  of  your  encomiums  !  yet  they  are  opinions  which  you  are  deliber 
ately  giving  to  the  press,  and  I  know  you  do  not  commit  your  judgment 
lightly  or  rashly. 

Last  week  I  made  a  journey  to  Palos,  to  visit  the  place  from  whence 
Columbus  sailed  on  his  first  voyage  of  discovery.  The  journey  was  rather 
rough,  and  I  had  to  put  up  with  the  usual  evils  of  Spanish  posadas,  but  I 
was  extremely  gratified.  I  had  a  letter  to  one  of  the  descendants  of  the 
Pinzons,  a  most  respectable  and  pleasant  old  gentleman,  seventy-two 
years  of  age,  healthful,  cheerful,  and  active.  He  entertained  me  with 
great  hospitality,  made  me  acquainted  with  his  family  connection,  and 
accompanied  me  to  every  place  memorable  in  the  history  of  the  expedi 
tion.  The  Pinzon  family  is  still  numerous  and  apparently  flourishing, 
and  ever  since  the  time  of  Columbus  has  continued  in  the  neighborhood, 
principally  at  Moguer,  where  the  best  houses  are  occupied  by  members  of 
the  family,  and  they,  for  centuries,  have  filled  the  posts  of  trust  and  dig 
nity  of  the  little  city.  I  visited  Palos,  the  convent  of  La  Eabida,  the 
church  at  which  Columbus  read  the  order  for  the  caravels,  the  church 
where  he  watched  and  prayed  all  night  after  his  return,  according  to  a 
vow  which  he  had  made  in  a  storm  at  sea ;  in  short,  I  sought  everything 
that  had  any  connection  with  him  and  his  history.  .... 


CHAPTEE  X. 

CHANGE  OP  QUARTERS  TO  PORT  ST.  MARY. — EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTER  TO  PETER 
— LITERARY  PLANS. — LONGING  TO  RETURN  TO  AMERICA. — EXTRACTS  FROM 
DIABY. — REMOVAL  FROM  THE  CERILLO  TO  THE  CARACOL. — MURRAY'S  OFFER 
TO  HIM  TO  CONDUCT  A  MAGAZINE,  AND  TO  WRITE  FOR  THE  "  QUARTERLY." 
— REPUGNANCE  TO  THE  PROPOSAL. — LETTER  TO  ALEXANDER  H.  EVERETT, 
NOTICING  MURRAY'S  OFFER. — "CONQUEST  OF  GRANADA." — SALE  OF  AMER 
ICAN  COPYRIGHT. — RETURN  TO  SEVILLE. — ABRIDGMENT  OF  "COLUMBUS." 
— GIVEN  GRATUITOUSLY  TO  MURRAY. — BARGAIN  WITH  THE  CARVILLS  FOR 
"  COLUMBUS  "  AND  ABRIDGMENT. — DEATH  OF  HALL. — ANECDOTE  OF  IN 
VOCATION. —  BARGAIN  WITH  MURRAY  FOR  "CONQUEST  OF  GRANADA." — 
CLOSE  OF  1828. 


INDING  the  heat  too  great  at  their  cottage  on 
the  sunburnt  "  tablada "  of  Seville,  Mr.  Irving 
and  Mr.  Hall  removed  to  a  little  country-seat 
about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  town  of  St.  Mary, 
about  eight  miles  from  Cadiz,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
Bay. 

It  stands  on  a  hill,  [writes  Washington  to  his  brother  Peter,  September 
2,  the  day  after  they  had  taken  possession.]  commanding  an  extensive 
prospect  of  sea  and  land,  with  Cadiz  and  its  beautiful  bay  on  one  side 
and  the  distant  mountains  of  Ronda  on  another. 

The  letter  continues :— 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING.  127 

I  shall  remain  here  until  the  end  of  September,  perhaps  a  little  longer, 
and  think  I  may  then  pay  another  visit  to  Seville,  to  look  into  the  ar 
chives  of  the  Indias.  Mr.  Everett  procured  me  the  royal  permission  to 
inspect  the  archives  of  the  Indias,  but  it  did  not  arrive  until  about  a  week 
before  I  left  Seville,  when  the  weather  was  so  hot  that  it  was  almost  im 
possible  to  do  anything. 

I  shall  remain  some  little  time  longer  in  Spain,  until  I  can  get  more 
manuscript  in  sufficient  train  to  insure  its  completion  hereafter  without 
difficulty — the  getting  up  the  work  on  Granada  and  the  correcting  of 
"  Columbus  "  have  hitherto  engrossed  me,  and  may  occupy  me  some  little 
time  longer  ;  after  which  I  will  endeavor  to  arrange  other  things,  so  as  to 
be  beyond  the  reach  of  chance  or  change  of  mind.  I  have  quiet  and  lei 
sure  here  to  work,  and  with  a  little  assiduity  may  make  ample  provision 
for  all  future  wants  ;  but  when  I  once  leave  Spain,  I  fear  I  shall  for  a 
long  time.be  unsettled  and  incapable  of  working.  I  am  haunted  by  an 
incessant  and  increasing  desire  to  visit  America,  and  if  I  once  get  in  mo 
tion  it  is  a  chance  if  I  come  to  anchor  again  until  I  find  myself  at  New 
York.  I  will  endeavor,  therefore,  to  provide  against  the  possibility  of  such 
restlessness. 

I  give  a  few  extracts  from  his  diary,  commencing  the 
eleventh  day  after  he  and  Mr.  Hall  had  taken  possession 
of  Cerillo,  the  country-seat  about  a  mile  from  Port  St. 
Mary,  before  mentioned. 

Thursday,  11th. — Find  the  persons  of  Mr.  Crowley's  house  are  coming 
out  to  take  refuge  in  the  Cerillo,  through  fear  of  the  fever — cross  to 
Cadiz  to  consult  with  Mr.  Burton  [the  American  consul]  what  course  to 
take,  as  we  must  leave  the  Cerillo,  and  the  country  is  alarmed  by  reports 
of  fever  in  Gibraltar,  and  cordons  are  drawing  in  various  places. 

Friday,  12th. — Make  preparations  to  return  to  Seville — learn  that  the 
steamboats  are  not  permitted  to  come  from  Seville— our  retreat  in  that 
direction  cut  off. 


128  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

Monday,  15th. — Agree  to  take  the  Caracol  at  about  $15  a  month,  partly 
furnished — move  there  this  afternoon. — [This  little  retreat  was  a  short 
distance  from  Port  St.  Mary,  and  commanded  a  fine  view  of  the  bay  and 
city  of  Cadiz. — Here  Hall  was  destined  to  find  his  end.] 

October  12. — Receive  letter  from  Murray  ;  offers  £1,000  a  year  to  con 
duct  a  monthly  magazine,  and  to  pay  liberally  besides  for  any  original 
articles  I  may  insert ;  offers  one  hundred  guineas  an  article  for  contri 
butions  for  the  "  Quarterly  Review." 

[To  Mr.  Alexander  H.  Everett.] 

PUERTO  STA.  MARIA,  October  21, 1828. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  : — 

Murray  has  offered  me  a  thousand  pounds  a  year  to  conduct  a  periodi 
cal  magazine  he  is  about  setting  up,  to  be  devoted  entirely  to  literature 
and  the  arts,  without  the  least  mixture  of  politics  or  personality,  and  to 
pay  me  liberally  besides  for  any  articles  I  may  contribute  to  it.  I  have 
declined,  as  I  do  not  wish  to  engage  in  any  undertaking  that  would  oblige 
me  to  fix  my  residence  out  of  America  ;  and,  indeed,  I  am  unwilling  to 
shackle  myself  with  any  periodical  labor.  He  also  offers  me  a  hundred 
guineas  an  article  for  contributions  to  the  "Quarterly."  This  is  ex 
tremely  liberal,  but,  unfortunately,  his  review  has  been  so  hostile  to  our 
country,  that  I  cannot  think  of  writing  a  line  for  it.  Had  it  been  other 
wise,  I  could  hardly  have  resisted  such  a  temptation.  Since  my  tour  in 
the  old  kingdom  of  Granada,  I  have  finished  and  transmitted  a  work  for 
publication  on  the  subject  of  the  Conquest  by  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  1 
collected  materials  for  it  about  two  years  since,  having  been  struck  with 
the  subject  while  writing  the  "Life  of  Columbus."  My  brother  assisted 
me  in  my  researches,  but  after  I  had  roughly  thrown  it  into  form,  I  felt 
distrust  on  the  subject,  and  let  it  lie.  My  tour  reassured  me,  and  I  took 
it  up  resolutely  at  Seville,  and  worked  it  into  regular  form.  Colonel  As- 
pinwall,  to  whom  I  remitted  the  first  part  some  weeks  since,  appears 
highly  pleased  with  it,  and  has  put  it  in  Murray's  hands,  from  whom  I 
await  a  reply.  It  is  in  the  form  of  a  Chronicle,  made  up  from  all  the  old 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  129 

Spanish  historians  I  could  lay  my  hands  on,  colored  and  tinted  by  the 
imagination  so  as  to  have  a  romantic  air,  without  destroying  the  his 
torical  basis  or  the  chronological  order  of  events.  I  fancy  it  is  as  near 
the  truth  as  any  of  the  chronicles  from  which  it  is  digested,  and  has 
the  advantage  of  containing  the  striking  facts  and  achievements,  true  or 
false,  of  them  all.  Of  course  it  will  have  no  pretensions  as  a  grave  his 
torical  production,  or  a  work  of  authority,  but  I  cannot  help  thinking  it 
will  present  a  lively  picture  of  the  war,  and  one  somewhat  characteristic 
of  the  times,  so  much  of  the  materials  having  been  drawn  from  contem 
porary  historians. 

The  manuscript  of  the  "Conquest  of  Granada,"  the 
work  here  alluded  to  as  in  the  form  of  a  Chronicle,  had 
been  despatched  to  America  from  Cadiz,  a  short  time 
before,  and  the  copyright  was  sold  to  Messrs.  Carey 
&  Co.,  of  Philadelphia,  for  a  term  of  five  years,  for  $4,750 
payable  in  two,  four,  eight,  twelve,  and  eighteen  months 
from  the  day  of  publication.  In  noticing  Murray's  offer 
of  a  hundred  guineas  an  article  for  contributions  to  the 
"  London  Quarterly,"  in  a  communication  to  his  brother 
Peter,  which  includes  an  allusion  to  the  entire  proposi 
tion,  he  says  :  "  As  for  the  '  Keview '  itself,  it  has  always 
been  so  hostile  to  our  country,  I  cannot  draw  a  pen  in  its 
service." 

It  is  a  noteworthy  fact  in  this  connection,  that  it  was 
afterwards  made  matter  of  opprobrium  against  him  that 
he  was  a  frequent  contributor  to  the  "  London  Quarterly," 
at  a  time  when  that  periodical  was  distinguished  for  its 
hostility  to  the  United  States.  But  of  this  I  may  speak 
hereafter. 

VOL.  n. — 9 


130  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

On  the  3d  of  November  Mr.  Irving  carried  out  his  in 
tention  of  running  to  Seville,  "  to  make  researches  in  the 
library  left  by  Fernando  Columbus,  and  in  the  archives 
of  the  Indias,"  leaving  his  companion  at  the  "  Caracol," 
expecting  soon  to  follow  him.  A  fortnight  later,  as  ap 
pears  by  his  diary,  November  18,  he  received  a  letter 
from  his  brother  Peter,  informing  him  that  some  anony 
mous  person  in  America  was  about  to  publish  an  abridg 
ment  of  his  "  Life  of  Columbus,"  which,  in  his  view,  would 
be  extremely  injurious  to  both  the  work  and  himself: 
"  as,"  he  writes,  "  he  must  of  course  garble  it,  and  mangle 
the  style  by  alterations  to  avoid  the  law  respecting  copy 
right." 

As  the  history  would  probably  come  to  an  abridgment, 
as  a  class  or  school  book,  Mr.  Irving  had  intended  to 
make  one  himself,  but  had  delayed,  fearing  it  might  prej 
udice  the  sale  of  the  larger  work,  if  issued  too  soon ;  but 
now  that  he  found  himself  menaced  with  this  interference 
with  his  rights  and  the  produce  of  his  labors,  before  the 
extended  history  had  been  six  months  from  the  press,  he 
set  to  work  at  once  to  carry  out  his  purpose,  writing 
immediately  to  his  brother  Ebenezer,  to  announce  a 
forthcoming  epitome  by  himself.  To  this  course  he  was 
strongly  urged  by  his  brother  Peter,  to  whom  it  appeared 
important  to  his  interest,  and  the  reputation  of  his  work, 
that  he  should  prepare  an  epitome  of  it  to  prevent  its 
being  garbled  and  mangled  in  the  manner  threatened. 
" Gibbon,"  he  reminds  him,  "abridged  his  'Decline  and 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVIN&.  131 

Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire ; '  Goldsmith  abridged  his  his 
tories  of  Borne  and  Greece,  and  the  public  was  thus  put 
in  possession  of  valuable  school-books  from  the  pens  of 
those  original  authors."  Then  after  one  or  two  sug 
gestions  as  to  the  reasons  for  the  abridgments  it  might 
be  well  to  state  in  the  preface,  to  prevent  the  charge  of 
book-making,  he  adds  pleasantly:  "By  the  way,  your 
case  is  similar  to  that  of  Goldsmith,  stated  in  the  preface 
to  a  collection  of  his  scattered  Essays.  You  recollect  his 
story  of  the  fat  voyager,  who  was  to  furnish  slices  of  his 
own  bacon,  to  support  his  shipwrecked  companions,  and 
insisted  on  having  the  first  cut  himself." 

In  his  reply,  dated  November  19,  the  day  succeeding 
the  receipt  of  this  unpalatable  news,  Washington  writes : 

Your  information  of  the  intended  piracy  upon  Columbus  annoyed  me 
at  first  excessively,  for  I  have  had  so  much  fagging  already  with  that 
work,  that  the  idea  of  attempting  an  abridgment  was  intolerable,  espe 
cially  as  I  have  so  much  other  matter  to  employ  my  time  upon  during  the 
short  period  I  can  yet  linger  in  Spain.  Still  I  cannot  endure  the  idea  that 
a  paltry  poacher  should  carry  off  the  fruits  of  my  labors.  I  sat  down, 
therefore,  this  morning,  and  have  already  written  about  twenty  pages, 
and  now  think  I  shall  be  able  to  digest  the  work  into  a  very  spirited  and 
compact  form,  that  will  eventually  be  more  profitable  than  the  more 
bulky  one,  if  not  a  better  piece  of  literature. 

In  a  subsequent  letter  to  Peter,  of  November  30,  he 
writes  that  he  was  getting  on  easily  and  rapidly  with  the 
abridgment ;  convinced  that  it  would  make  a  most  com 
pact,  interesting,  and  entertaining  work  in  one  volume,  ol 


132  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

a  size  to  be  widely  and  permanently  salable.  "  I  think," 
he  adds,  "  the  literary  pirate  will  eventually  prove  a 
benefactor." 

A  fortnight  later,  he  writes  to  the  same  brother : — 

I  have  finished  the  abridgment,  and  shall  send  it  off  to  America  by  the 
brig  Francis,  which  sails  from  Cadiz  for  New  York,  about  the  22d  instant. 
I  have  had  it  copied,  that  I  might  forward  a  copy  to  Murray.  It  will 
make  about  five  hundred  pages  of  the  "Sketch  Book,"  or  four  hundred 
good  full  pages  of  ordinary  printing.  I  finished  it  in  nineteen  days, — 
hard  work,  but  I  think  it  will  be  all  the  better  for  being  written  off  at  a 
heat.  I  have  no  doubt  that  it  will  prove  a  work  of  extensive  and  durable 
sale.  All  the  passages  and  scenes  of  striking  interest  are  given  almost 
entire,  and  the  other  parts  are  compressed  with  clearness  and  fluency,  and 
without  losing  in  language,  I  think  they  gain  in  spirit  by  conciseness. 
The  vessel  by  which  it  goes  to  America  was  originally  advertised  for  the 
15th,  and  to  enable  me  to  forward  the  MSS.,  man,  woman,  and  child  of 
my  acquaintance  here  that  understood  English,  volunteered  to  assist  in 
copying  it,  so  that  I  had  it  copied  in  the  course  of  a  very  few  days. 

I  have  had  no  intelligence  from  Colonel  Aspinwall  of  any  definite 
arrangement  with  Murray  for  the  "Conquest  of  Granada."  From  the 
tenor  of  his  last  letter,  however,  I  feel  satisfied  he  will  get  full  terms  ; 
but  I  begin  to  fear  the  work  will  not  be  published  until  spring. 

The  copy  of  the  abridgment  for  Murray,  mentioned  in 
this  letter,  he  gave  to  that  publisher  without  charge, 
who,  it  may  be  stated  incidentally,  disposed  of  an  edition 
of  ten  thousand  for  his  Family  Library.  If  he  failed  of 
reimbursement  from  the  more  costly  and  extended  his 
tory,  the  deficiency  was  no  doubt  made  up  by  the  gratui 
tous  compendium. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  133 

The  same  day  lie  writes  to  Mr.  Everett,  in  reply  to  a 
letter  not  in  my  possession,  respecting  some  points  in 
the  "  History  of  Columbus,"  as  follows  : — 

[To  Mr.  Alexander  H.  Everett.} 

SEVILLE,  December  13, 1828. 
MY  DEAR  SIR  : — 

I  am  not  certain  whether  I  have  seen  anything  of  the  work  of  Count 
Nassione  on  the  question  of  the  birthplace  of  Columbus,  but  I  have  an 
idea  that  I  found  the  amount  of  his  arguments  stated  in  some  other  work. 
It  appears,  however,  that  after  writing  two  dissertations  on  the  subject, 
he  left  it  still  undecided.  I  examined  carefully  and  painfully  every 
work  and  document  I  could  find  relative  to  the  subject,  and  it  cost  me 
several  days  of  hard  and  dry  investigation.  I  came  to  the  opinion  in 
favor  of  Genoa  from  the  reasons  stated  in  my  illustrations  and  from  vari 
ous  other  trivial  reasons  that  I  did  not  think  it  important  to  state.  I 
conceived  it  proper  to  pay  this  respect  to  a  question  which  has  been  made 
a  subject  of  such  voluminous  controversy  among  grave  men,  but  having 
once  settled  my  opinion,  I  will  take  especial  care  not  to  unsettle  it  again. 
I  have  determined  never  to  enter  into  disputes  upon  any  of  these  con 
tested  points.  They  will  continue  to  be  contested  until  the  day  of  judg 
ment,  and  there  will  never  be  wanted  champions  on  both  sides  in  Italy  to 
draw  their  pens  and  write  volumes  in  the  cause  on  the  least  provocation. 
As  to  the  portrait  at  the  Lonja,  it  is  not  likely  to  be  a  portrait  of  Colum 
bus,  but  rather  of  his  son  Diego.  It  is  too  young  for  the  admiral,  and  it 
is  painted  in  a  ruff,  which  article  of  dress  was  not  worn  in  Spain  until 
some  years  after  his  death,  in  the  reign  of  Charles  V.  Should  Count 
Massimino  send  you  the  work  of  Nassione,  I  shall  feel  much  obliged  to 
you  if  you  will  let  me  have  a  sight  of  it. 

I  have  been  indef atigably  engaged  for  three  weeks  past  in  preparing  an 
abridgment  of  "  Columbus."  I  found  that  some  literary  pirate  in  Amer 
ica  had  advertised  an  intention  to  do  so,  which  would  not  merely  have 


134  LIFE  AND   LETTERS 

robbed  me  of  part  of  the  fruits  of  my  labors,  but  would  have  presented 
my  work  in  a  mutilated  and  garbled  state  to  my  countrymen 

On  the  19th  of  December,  Mr.  Irving  transmits  to  his 
brother  Ebenezer,  "  by  Midshipman  Farrand,  who  was 
recently  in  Seville,"  a  copy  of  the  abridgment  for  publi 
cation  in  America. 

I  beg  you  will  have  it  published  as  quick  as  possible  [he  writes].  Print 
a  good  number  ;  let  it  make  a  volume  of  moderate  size,  and  full,  though 
clear  and  legible  page,  and  let  the  price  be  moderate.  Profit  is  of  second 
ary  importance.  Manage  the  matter  so  as  to  command  a  circulation,  and 

to  drive  the  pirate  ashore If  you  have  made  a  bargain  with 

any  bookseller  for  the  publication  of  the  second  edition  of  "Columbus," 
you  may  modify  the  bargain  so  as  to  include  the  publication  of  this  work, 
which  I  am  confident  will  ultimately  have  a  wide  and  general  sale,  for  it 
kas  the  marrow  of  the  large  work,  and  is  abridged,  I  think,  both  spirit 
edly  and  fluently. 

The  brother  to  whom  this  letter  is  addressed,  it  may 
be  here  stated,  made  an  arrangement  with  the  Carvills, 
of  New  York,  the  purchasers  of  the  first  edition  of  Co 
lumbus,  by  which  he  disposed  to  them  of  the  right  of 
printing  the  second  edition,  and  the  abridgment  for  five 
years,  for  $6,000. 

It  was  before  the  transmission  of  this  abridgment, 
which  was  to  find  an  undisputed  field,  and  in  the  midst 
of  the  incessant  labor  of  his  hurried  preparation,  that 
Mr.  Irving  received  the  news  of  the  death  of  the  com 
panion  whom  he  had  left  at  the  "  Caracol,"  and  with 
whom  he  had  spent  so  many  months  of  lonely  fellowship 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  135 

on  the  tablada  of  Seville,  and  outside  the  walls  of  Port 
St.  Mary.  When  he  took  leave  of  him,  Hall  was  to  have 
rejoined  him  in  the  course  of  a  week  or  two. 

In  alluding  to  the  death  of  this  amiable  and  interesting 
companion  in  a  letter  to  Brevoort,  of  December  20,  Mr. 
Irving  writes : — 

He  was  intelligent,  well-bred,  and  accomplished.  His  malady  confined 
him  almost  entirely  to  the  house.  Sometimes  he  rode  out  a  little,  and  I 
accompanied  him,  either  on  horseback  or  on  foot,  but  most  of  our  time 
was  passed  at  home,  I  writing,  he  drawing  and  studying  Persian  and 

Arabic I  cannot  tell  you,  my  dear  Brevoort,  how  mournful 

an  event  this  has  been  to  me.  It  is  a  long  while  since  I  have  lived  in 
such  domestic  intimacy  with  any  one  but  my  brother.  I  first  met  with 
this  young  gentleman  in  the  house  in  Seville  where  I  am  now  boarding, 
and  was  insensibly  interested  in  his  precarious  situation,  and  won  by  the 
amiableness  and  correctness  of  his  manner.  I  could  not  have  thought 
that  a  mere  stranger  in  so  short  a  space  of  time  could  have  taken  such 
a  hold  upon  my  feelings. 

It  was  the  spirit  of  this  young  Englishman  that  the 
author  invoked,  and  as  the  anecdote  has  already  found 
its  way  into  print,  I  will  give  it  in  the  words  in  which  I 
had  it  from  his  own  lips  : — 

Hall  [said  Mr.  Irving]  was  rather  skeptical,  and  prone  to  speculate 
dubiously  about  the  reality  of  a  future  life  and  the  possibility  of  spectral 
visitation.  In  one  of  these  moods,  during  a  talk  about  ghosts,  he  turned 
suddenly  towards  me,  and  asked  me  somewhat  abruptly  whether  I  would 
be  willing  to  receive  a  visit  from  him  after  death,  if  he  should  go  before 
me,  as  he  was  so  likely  to  do  ?  "Why,  Hall,"  I  replied,  "you  are  such 
a  good  fellow,  and  we  have  lived  so  amicably  together,  I  don't  know  why 


136  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

I  should  fear  to  welcome  your  apparition,  if  you  are  able  to  come." 
"Nay,"  said  Hall,  "  I  am  serious,  and  I  wish  you  to  say  you  will  consent, 
if  the  thing  is  practicable."  "Well,  then,"  said  I,  "  I  am  serious  too, 
and  I  will."  "  Then,"  said  Hall,  "it  is  a  compact ;  and,  Irving,  if  I  can 
solve  the  mystery  for  you,  I  engage  to  do  it." 

After  Ms  death,  the  horse  of  Hall  was  brought  to  him 
at  Seville,  and  one  evening  he  rode  him  to  their  old  re 
treat,  at  Casa  Cera,  near  that  city.  Here,  solemnized  by 
the  scene  and  its  associations,  and  recalling  their  strange 
compact,  he  breathed  an  appeal  for  the  promised  pres 
ence  of  his  departed  friend.  "  But,"  said  he,  "  he  did 
not  come,  and  though  I  have  made  similar  invocations 
before  and  since,  they  were  never  answered ; "  adding 
half  playfully,  half  mournfully  :  "  the  ghosts  have  never 
been  kind  to  me." 

It  would  seem  from  a  letter  of  Hall,  addressed  to  Mr. 
Irving  at  Seville,  only  a  week  before  his  death,  that  their 
residence  at  the  Caracol  had  not  been  without  its  ro 
mance.  "Sebastian,"  he  writes,  "had  got  hold  of  a 
story  of  several  robbers  secreted  in  a  cave,  in  the  bank 
surrounding  the  Caracol.  He  has  seen  several  crawl  in 
and  out  on  their  hands  and  knees  of  the  holes  in  the 
bank.  The  Capitaz  says  he  fears  to  inform  against  them, 
lest  they  should  have  money  to  release  them  from  prison, 
and  then  we  should  all  be  assassinated.  We  shall  have 
thieves  in  the  water-jars  next." 

It  is  a  little  singular,  also,  that  their  residence  at  Casa 
de  Cera,  on  the  tablada  of  Seville,  was  proved  to  have 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  137 

been  a  sort  of  robber  rendezvous,  and  the  keeper  and  his 
wife,  before  Mr.  Irving  left  Spain,  were  arrested  for  giv 
ing  harbor  to  robbers,  who  were  traced  to  their  cottage. 

On  the  27th  of  December,  Mr.  Irving  received  a  letter 
from  Colonel  Aspinwall,  informing  him  that  he  had  made 
an  arrangement  with  Murray,  for  the  purchase  of  the 
"  Chronicles  of  Granada  : "  2,000  guineas,  at  long  dates. 
"  I  have  concluded  everything  with  Mr.  Murray,"  writes 
that  gentleman,  December  12.  "  He  gives  you  your  own 
price,  but  the  notes  are  to  be  at  eight,  twelve,  sixteen, 
twenty,  and  twenty-four  months,  from  January  10,  1829 ; 
the  last  note  for  £500,  and  all  the  rest  for  <£400  each. 
The  assignment  is  to  be  exactly  like  the  last  in  terms,  so 
that  the  property  in  the  copyright  will  remain  with  you 
till  the  notes  are  paid." 

In  noticing  this  arrangement  in  a  letter  to  Peter,  of 
December  27,  Washington  writes  : — 

You  see,  therefore,  that  the  colonel  has  gone  for  the  whole,  and  got  me 
the  outside  price  of  2,000  guineas.  As  to  the  length  of  the  dates  it  is  a 
matter  of  minor  importance  ;  between  the  old  funds  lying  in  the  hands 
of  the  colonel  and  what  I  have  in  the  hands  of  my  banker  at  Madrid,  I 
shall  be  able  to  get  on  until  within  reach  of  the  first  instalment,  and  shall 
probably  have  other  funds  arising,  as  I  shall  have  to  comply  with  the 
earnest  request  of  an  old  literary  friend,  Allan  Cunningham,  to  furnish 
him  with  an  article  for  a  Christmas  work,  to  be  illustrated  by  Newton, 
Leslie,  Wilkie,  etc.  He  offers  me  for  a  short  sketch  and  tale,  or  for 
either,  any  sum  I  may  ask,  from  £50  to  £100.  His  object  is,  of  course, 
to  get  my  name  in  the  list  of  his  contributors.  Murray  also  is  very  anx 
ious  for  me  to  furnish  him  with  a  small  popular  volume. 


138  LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING. 

I  close  the  history  of  this  year  of  the  author's  life  with 
the  following  memoranda  from  his  diary  : — 

December  30th.  —Incapable  of  working — change  my  room — evening  at 
the  opera— Crocciato — introduced  to  the  Marchioness  of  Arco  Hermosa, 
daughter  of  Mr.  Bohl. 

Wednesday  31st.— Call  this  morning  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hipkins  on  the 
Marchioness  of  Arco  Hermosa — make  a  long  visit.  The  Marchioness 
relates  many  village  anecdotes  of  the  village  of  Dos  Hermanos — return 
home  and  make  a  note  of  two  of  them — evening  at  home. 

Thus  ends  the  year — tranquilly. — It  has  been  one  of  much  literary  ap 
plication,  and,  generally  speaking,  one  of  the  most  tranquil  in  spirit  of 
my  whole  life.  The  literary  success  of  the  "  History  of  Columbus  "  has 
been  greater  than  I  anticipated,  and  gives  me  hopes  that  I  have  executed 
something  which  may  have  greater  duration  than  I  anticipate  for  my 
works  of  mere  imagination.  I  look  forward  without  any  very  sanguine 
anticipations,  but  without  the  gloom  that  has  sometimes  oppressed  me. 
The  only  future  event  from  which  I  promise  myself  any  extraordinary 
gratification  is  the  return  to  my  native  country,  which,  I  trust,  will  now 
soon  take  place. 


CHAPTEE  XL 

STILL  AT  SEVILLE. — LITERARY  PLANS  AND  PURSUITS. — LETTER  TO  PETER.— 
LETTER  TO  PRINCE  DOLGOROUKI. — RECEIVES  DIPLOMA  OF  THE  ROYAL 
ACADEMY  OF  HISTORY. — LETTER  TO  ALEXANDER  H.  EVERETT. — THE  PRESI 
DENTIAL  ELECTION.— HIS  IMPRESSIONS  OF  ANDREW  JACKSON.— REASON 
FOR  ADOPTING  A  "  NOM  DE  GUERRE  "  FOR  THE  "  CONQUEST  OF  GRANADA." 
— LETTERS  TO  PETER. — PUBLICATION  OF  "CHRONICLES  OF  GRANADA.'' 
— LETTER  TO  ALEXANDER  H.  EVERETT. — ABOUT  TO  LEAVE  SEVILLE  FOB 
GRANADA. 

|HE  period  of  Mr.  Irving' s  sojourning  at  Seville, 
where  he  had  been  since  the  third  of  Novem 
ber,  was  continued  through  the  months  of  Jan 
uary,  February,  March  and  April ;  a  visit  to  the  Barbary 
States  which  he  had  meditated  in  the  interim,  having 
failed  of  its  accomplishment.  In  pursuance  of  the  pur 
pose  which  I  keep  steadily  in  view,  to  make  the  author 
his  own  biographer,  I  intermingle  some  passages  from 
his  letters  and  diary,  which  will  illustrate  in  his  own 
words  his  life  and  literary  plans  and  pursuits  during 
these  four  months. 

[To  Peter  Irving,  at  Havre. ~\ 

».  • 

SEVILLE,  January  8, 1829. 
MT  DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

I  shall  endeavor  to  get  up  the  chronicle  of  the  invasion  as  soon  as  pos< 

139 


140  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

sible.     The  fag  at  the  abridgment  has  rather  thrown  me  out  of  the  writ- 

ing  mood  for  a  little  while,  but  the  fit  is  reviving 

In  my  last  I  mentioned  my  having  received  a  letter  from  Allan  Cun 
ningham,  begging  me  to  furnish  him  with  a  short,  sketch  and  tale,  or 
either  one,  for  a  yearly  miscellany  to  be  published  next  autumn,  similal 
to  thu  German  almanacs.  I  have  not  yet  replied,  for  I  fear  to  crowd  my 
self  with  work.  Yet  I  remember  Cunningham  for  a  worthy,  pleasant, 
clever  man.  He  is  a  friend  of  Wilkie's,  and  his  miscellany  is  to  be  illus 
trated  by  engravings  from  Wilkie,  Newton,  and  Leslie.  I  shall  endeavor 
to  prepare  something  for  him.*  I  feel  anxious  to  make  the  most  of  my 
present  sunshine,  but  the  very  anxiety  agitates  me,  and  I  feel  at  times  a 
litde  perplexed  what  to  take  hold  of. 


[To  Prince  Dolgorouki.'] 

SEVILLE,  January  10,  1889. 
MY  PEAK  DOLQOROUKT  : — 

I  am  very  greatly  obliged  to  you  for  your  attention  in  forwarding  me 
the  diploma  of  the  Royal  Academy  of  History,  and  will  thank  you  to  re 
mit  the  enclosed  reply  to  Don  Diego  Clemencin,  the  Secretary 

I  feel  very  sensibly  the  compliment  which  the  Royal  Academy  has  paid 
me  in  making  me  a  member,  and  should  like  to  know  to  what  member's 
proposition  I  am  indebted  for  the  measure.  \ 

I  fear  my  chronicle  of  the  Conquest  of  Granada  will  not  answer  the 
high  anticipations  you  appear  to  entertain  of  it.  I  have  been  hazarding 
a  kind  of  experiment  in  literature,  and  the  success  is  in  some  degree  a 
matter  of  chance.  The  Conquest  of  Granada  has  hitherto  been  a  fertile 
theme  for  tales  of  romance  and  chivalry  ;  in  the  account  I  have  given  of 
it,  there  is  nothing  of  love  or  gallantry,  and  the  chivalry  is  the  chivalry 
of  actual  life,  as  it  existed  at  the  time,  exhibited  in  rugged  and  daring 
enterprises,  and  rough,  hard  fighting.  I  have  depicted  the  war  as  I 

*  He  sent  Cunningham  The  Widened  Ordeal. 
t  The  proposition  came  from  Navarrete. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  141 

found  it  in  the  old  chronicles,  a  stern,  iron  conflict,  more  marked  by 
bigotry  than  courtesy,  and  by  wild  and  daring  exploits  of  fierce  soldiery, 
than  the  gallant  contests  of  courteous  cavaliers.  However,  the  work 
will  soon  be  published,  and  then  you  will  be  able  to  judge  of  its  merits  ; 
but  do  not  indulge  in  high  expectations  nor  form  any  romantic  idea  of 
its  nature. 

The  following  is  in  reply  to  a  letter  of  Mr.  Everett, 
received  on  the  10th,  giving  him  the  result  of  the  Presi 
dential  election,  in  which  Andrew  Jackson  received  178 
votes  ;  John  Quincy  Adams,  83. 

[To  Mr.  Alexander  H.  Everett.'] 

SEVILLE,  February  14, 1889. 
MY  DEAR  SIR  : — 

Your  statement  of  the  relative  number  of  votes  for  General  Jackson  and 
Mr.  Adams  quite  surprises  me.  It  shows  how  fallacious  are  all  calcula 
tions  upon  the  humor  of  the  people,  since  many  of  our  electioneering  as 
trologers  were  confident  in  their  predictions  that  Mr.  Adams  would  be  re- 
elected.  I  was  rather  sorry  when  Mr.  Adams  was  first  raised  to  the  Presi 
dency,  but  I  am  much  more  so  at  his  being  displaced ;  for  he  has  made  a 
far  better  President  than  I  expected,  and  I  am  loth  to  see  a  man  super 
seded  who  has  filled  his  station  worthily.  These  frequent  changes  in  our 
administration  are  prejudicial  to  the  country;  we  ought  to  be  wary  of 
using  our  power  of  changing  our  Chief  Magistrate  when  the  welfare  of 
the  country  does  not  require  it.  In  the  present  election  there  has,  doubt 
less,  been  much  honest,  warm,  grateful  feeling  toward  Jackson,  but  I  fear 
much  pique,  passion,  and  caprice  as  it  respects  Mr.  Adams. 

Since  the  old  general  was  to  be  the  man,  however,  I  am  well  pleased 
upon  the  whole,  that  he  has  a  great  majority,  as  it  will,  for  the  reasons 
you  mention,  produce  a  political  calm  in  the  country,  and  lull  those  angry 
passions  which  have  been  exasperated  during  Mr.  Adams'  administra- 


142  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

tion,  by  the  close  contest  of  nearly  balanced  parties.  As  to  the  old  gen 
eral,  with  all  his  hickory  characteristics,  I  suspect  he  has  good  stuff  in 
him,  and  will  make  a  sagacious,  independent,  and  high-spirited  Presi 
dent  ;  and  I  doubt  his  making  so  high-handed  a  one  as  many  imagine. 
.  .  .  .  As  I  give  the  old  fellow  credit  for  some  degree  of  rough  chiv 
alry,  I  have  no  idea  that  he  will  play  a  petty,  persecuting  game  with  his 
opponents,  when  their  opposition  has  been  fair  and  honorable.  I  do  not 
apprehend,  therefore,  many  changes  of  office  from  mere  political  pique, 
and  I  believe  that  a  person  like  yourself,  who  has  filled  his  office  faith 
fully,  ably,  and  respectably,  will  never  be  molested 

The  London  newspaper  has  blundered  with  respect  to  the  title  of  my 
new  work.  It  is  called  "A  Chronicle  of  the  Conquest  of  Granada,"  by 
Fray  Antonio  Agapida.  I  have  adopted  a  nom  de  guerre,  as  allowing  me 
a  freer  scope  in  touching  up  and  coloring  the  subject  from  my  imagina 
tion. 

I  received  recently  a  diploma  as  corresponding  member  of  the  Royal 
Academy  of  History  of  Madrid  ;  for  which,  I  understand,  I  am  indebted 
to  the  friendly  services  of  Mr.  Navarrete.  I  am  quite  anxious  to  see  this 
third  volume  of  voyages,  which,  I  am  told,  is  only  waiting  for  a  preface 
to  be  published. 

[To  Peter  Irving.] 

SEVILLE,  March  3,  1829. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

.  .  .  .  Lent  has  just  begun,  and  every  amusement  here  is  at  an 
end.  I  shall  remain  in  Seville  to  see  Holy  Week  in  April,  which  is  cele 
brated  here  with  great  splendor.  I  shall  then  take  my  departure,  and 
hope  that  by  that  time  I  shall  have  some  manuscript  in  such  forwardness 
as  to  be  able  to  finish  a  work  while  moving  from  place  to  place,  so  as  to 
have  it  out  in  the  course  of  the  summer.  The  loss  of  this  winter  has  put 
me  sadly  behind  my  calculations.  I  have  a  craving  desire  to  return  to 
America,  which  has  been  increasing  on  me  for  the  two  years  past,  until 
now  it  incessantly  haunts  my  rnind  and  occupies  all  my  dreams.  I  have 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  143 

said  nothing  positively  on  the  subject  in  my  letters  to  our  friends  in 
America,  nor  shall  I  say  anything,  for  so  many  circumstances  and  con 
siderations  have  arisen  to  prolong  my  stay  in  Europe  from  year  to  year, 
that  I  do  not  like  to  state  plans  which  may  be  frustrated.  I  am  no\^ 
resolved  to  go  as  soon  as  I  can  arrange  my  papers,  so  as  to  have  materials 
to  work  upon  for  some  few  months  without  the  necessity  of  much  inven 
tion  or  planning.  I  know  that  otherwise,  on  returning  home,  I  shall  be 
so  much  distracted  by  society,  etc.,  that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  carry  on  any 
literary  labor  that  requires  leisure  and  calm  thinking. 

I  may  never  have  a  more  favorable  time  to  return  home  than  the  pre& 
ent  year,  when  I  shall  have  one  work  just  launched  and  another  launch 
ing,  and  materials  in  hand  for  easy  arrangement.  If  I  defer  it,  God 
knows  what  may  arise  to  prevent  me. 

"  The  work  just  launched,"  was  the  "  Conquest  of 
Granada,"  and  the  other  "launching,"  was  the  "Voy 
ages  of  the  Companions  of  Columbus,"  now  in  readiness. 
"  The  materials  on  hand  for  easy  arrangement "  were  a 
Sketch  of  the  Life  of  Mahomet,  prepared  while  at  Mad 
rid,  and  intended  as  introductory  to  other  writings, 
which  he  had  in  contemplation  connected  with  the  Moor 
ish  domination  in  Spain ;  Legends  of  the  Conquest  of 
Spain ;  Chronicles  of  Don  Pelayo,  and  the  Successors  of 
Don  Pelayo ;  Chronicles  of  the  Ommiades  (or  the  house 
of  Omeya,  one  of  the  two  lines  descended  from  Mahomet), 
Chronicle  of  Don  Fernando  Gonzalez,  Count  of  Castile ; 
Don  Garcia  Fernandez  (his  successor) ;  the  Seven  Sons 
of  Lara ;  and  Chronicle  of  Fernando  el  Santo  (the  Con 
queror  of  Seville) ;  all  of  which,  with  the  exception  of 
Mahomet  and  the  Legends,  remained  for  a  long  time  in  a 


144  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

crude  state  in  his  portfolio,  and  were  afterwards  worked 
upon  though  he  never  gave  them  to  the  press,  except 
some  fragments  in  the  "  Knickerbocker  Magazine."  We 
shall  hereafter  find,  that  as  he  was  diverted  from  "  Co 
lumbus  "  to  engage  upon  the  "  Conquest  of  Granada,"  so 
he  was  led  aside  awhile  from  his  "  Life  of  Washington  " 
to  take  hold  of  these  chronicles. 

[To  Peter  Irving,  Esq.] 

SEVILLE,  March  11,  1829. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :— 

.  .  .  .  I  have  a  long  letter  from  Wilkie,  dated  30th  January.  He 
said  he  had  met  with  Price  *  a  few  days  before  at  a  jovial  dinner  at  Lis- 
ton's  ;  he  inquired  much  after  you  and  me.  His  theatre,  Wilkie  says,  is 
now  the  favorite  one,  and  even  excels  Covent  Garden  in  pantomime  ; 
there  is  a  moving  picture  in  one  of  the  pieces,  painted  by  Stanfield,  and 
said  to  be  one  of  the  finest  works  of  art  ever  seen  in  a  theatre.  Young 
Braham  and  Listen  form  the  strength  of  Drury  Lane.  Liston  has  twenty 
guineas  a  night.  Wilkie  had  met  Kenney  at  Mr.  Samuel  Rogers'.  Ken- 
ney  wears  well.  He  had  met  with  Leslie  and  Phillips  (the  portrait 
painter)  .and  their  whole  families,  men,  women,  and  children,  at  Pet- 
worth,  the  seat  of  Lord  Egremont.  Such  is  the  princely  style  in  which 
that  nobleman  entertains.  Leslie  is  a  rising  man,  both  in  the  esteem  of 
his  friends  and  the  favor  of  the  public.  Newton  has  lately  been  elected 
associate  of  the  Royal  Academy  by  a  great  majority.  He  is  painting  a 
picture  of  Gil  Bias  receiving  in  the  posada  the  first  visit  of  the  Queen  oi 
the  Philippine  Islands.  Newton,  Wilkie  says,  is  more  sought  after,  for 
his  society,  by  the  great  people  than  any  one  in  the  profession.  The  very 
favorable  notice  of  "Columbus"  that  appeared  in  the  "Literary  Ga- 

*  Stephen  Price,  formerly  mauagur  of  the  Park  Theatre,  New  York. 


Off  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  145 

zette,"  the  first  notice  that  was  published  of  the  work,  was  written,  Wil- 
kie  says,  by  Lockhart.  Sir  Walter  Scott  has  applied  to  Wilkie,  Leslie, 
and  Newton,  for  illustrations  for  a  complete  and  new  edition  of  the 
Waverley  Novels. 

[To  Peter  Irving,  Rouen.] 

SEVILLE,  April  10, 1829. 
MY  DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

I  have  this  day  received  a  copy  of  the  "  Conquest  of  Granada,"  sent  to 
me  via  Gibraltar.  Murray  informs  me  that  he  keeps  back  the  publication 
of  it  in  England  until  the  Catholic  question  is  settled,  as  the  public  can 
read,  talk,  and  think  of  nothing  else.  He  says  he  has  begun  to  print 
Moore's  "Life  of  Lord  Byron  ;"  he  adds,  "he  has  executed  his  task  in 
the  most  masterly  manner,  and  it  will  be,  I  feel  confident,  one  of  the 
most  interesting  pieces  of  biography  that  ever  was  written."  I  heartily 
rejoice  to  hear  this  ;  for  Moore's  "  Life  of  Sheridan  "  did  not  seem  to  give 
sufficient  satisfaction.  I  know  he  feels  this  subject  ten  times  as  much  as 
he  did  the  other.  His  "Life  of  Sheridan  "was  always  a  job  that  went 
against  the  grain  with  him.  Murray  concludes  his  letter  with  a  painful 
piece  of  intelligence  concerning  Moore,  that  he  was  "in  daily  apprehen 
sion  of  losing  his  only  daughter."  Let  me  know  if  you  hear  anything  on 
the  subject.  She  was  a  lovely  little  girl,  and  her  death  would  be  a  terri 
ble  blow  to  both  her  parents. 

Murray  has  published  the  Chronicle  in  a  beautiful  style.  I  observe  he 
has  altered  the  title-page.  I  had  put  "A  Chronicle  of  the  Conquest  of 
Granada,  by  Fray  Antonio  Agapida."  He  has  inserted  my  name  ;  I  pre 
sume  to  make  the  work  more  immediately  salable,  but  it  is  an  unwarrant 
able  liberty,  and  makes  me  gravely,  in  my  own  name,  tell  many  round 
untruths.  I  here  openly  make  myself  responsible  as  an  author  for  the 
existence  of  the  manuscript  of  Agapida,  etc.,  etc.  Literary  mystifications 
are  excusable  when  given  anonymously  or  under  feigned  names,  but  are 
impudent  deceptions  when  sanctioned  by  an  author's  real  name. 

I  have  just  looked  into  the  work.  It  reads  smoothly,  and  I  trust  will 
VOL.  n. — 10 


146  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

have  a  good  success  among  the  literary  ;  but  I  suspect  it  will  be  heavy  Ir 
the  hands  of  mere  readers  for  amusement.  The  former  kind  of  success  i? 
most  desirable  and  most  advantageous  in  the  long  run.  Should  I  find 
the  Chronicle  takes,  I  will  be  able  to  follow  it  up  soon  with  the  "  Inva 
sion,"  etc 

The  "  Chronicle,"  however,  though  regarded  by  Cole 
ridge  and  other  critical  authorities  as  a  "  masterpiece  of 
romantic  narrative,"  and  pronounced  by  our  own  noble 
poet,  William  Cullen  Bryant,  "  one  of  the  most  delightful 
of  his  works,"  was  not  destined  to  achieve  a  sufficient 
popularity  to  encourage  him  to  persevere  in  the  same 
line. 

Two  days  after  the  date  of  this  letter  to  Peter,  Prince 
Dolgorouki  arrived  in  the  diligence  from  Madrid,  to 
whom  Mr.  Irving  had  written  a  fortnight  before,  in  look 
ing  forward  to  his  speedy  coming  : — 

I  am  quite  overjoyed  at  the  prospect  of  soon  meeting  with  you.  I  shall 
certainly  remain  in  Seville  until  you  come,  and  shall  feel  a  new  delight 
in  revisiting  with  you  all  the  lions  of  this  place.  I  feel  so  attached  to 
Spain,  that  the  thoughts  of  soon  leaving  it  are  extremely  painful  to  me  ; 
ind  it  will  be  gratifying  to  me  to  take  a  farewell  view  of  some  of  its 
finest  scenes  in  company  with  one  who  knows  how  to  appreciate  this 
noble  country  and  noble  people. 

Mr.  Everett  sent  by  him,  as  Mr.  Irving  had  requested 
in  a  previous  letter,  the  "  Edinburgh  Eeview,"  containing 
Jeffrey's  critique  on  "  Columbus,"  and  also,  it  would  seem 
by  the  epistle  which  follows,  the  January  number  of  the 
"  North  American,"  containing  the  Minister's  own  review 
of  the  work. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  147 

[To  Alexander  H.  Everett.] 

SEVILLE,  April  15, 1829. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  : — 

Prince  Dolgorouki  has  delivered  me  your  letter  and  the  two  reviews 
you  have  had  the  goodness  to  send  me.  I  have  read  with  the  greatest  in 
terest  and  satisfaction  your  ample,  masterly,  and  beautiful  review  of  my 
writings.  I  do  not  know  how  you  can  imagine  that  there  are  any  pas 
sages  to  which  I  could  take  objection.  You  have,  indeed,  in  giving  a  dis 
criminating  piece  of  criticism,  pointed  out  certain  errors  into  which  I 
have  run,  and  deficiencies  which  are  incident  to  my  nature  ;  it  was  your 
duty  to  do  so.  I  am  conscious  of  the  truth  of  your  remarks,  and  in  mak 
ing  them  you  enhance  the  value  and  the  authority  of  the  exuberant  en 
comiums  you  have  passed  upon  me.  A  mere  friendly  eulogium  would 
have  had  no  weight  with  the  public,  and  would  have  been  very  unsatis 
factory  to  myself.  Having  spoken  your  mind  freely  about  my  defects,  I 
feel  the  more  confidence  in  your  praises,  and  after  making  all  due  allow 
ance  for  the  effects  of  personal  intimacy  and  kindness,  I  assure  you  it  is 
deeply  gratifying  to  receive  such  praise  from  such  hands. 

.  .  .  .  I  feel  certain  that  there  must  be  many  incorrectnesses  in 
my  writings,  for  though  I  labor  sometimes  carefully  at  parts,  I  often 
write  very  rapidly  ;  and  what  I  write  with  facility  and  spirit  I  am  not 
apt  to  retouch  with  any  great  solicitude.  I  labor  more  to  bring  up  care 
less  and  feeble  parts  to  a  tone  and  keeping  with  the  rest,  than  nicely  to 
finish  what  appears  to  me  already  good.  "  Columbus  "  had  more  sloven 
liness  of  style  in  one  stage  of  its  preparation  than  any  work  I  ever  wrote  ; 
for  I  was  so  anxious  about  the  verity  of  the  narrative,  and  had  to  patch 
it  together  from  so  many  different  materials,  that  I  had  no  time  to  think 
of  the  language.  It  was  not  until  I  had  completely  finished  it  as  to  facts, 
that  I  went  over  the  whole  of  it  and  endeavored  to  bring  up  the  style. 

I  give  a  few  of  the  entries  in  his  diary  between  the 
date  of  the  foregoing  letter  and  that  which  is  to  follow  : — 


148  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

April  16th. — Miserere  in  the  cathedral  in  the  evening — walked  in  the 
cathedral  with  Dolgorouki  until  half-past  eleven. 

17th, — Went  with  Prince  Dolgorouki  to  the  Church  of  St.  Thomas,  to 
see  the  painting  by  Zurbaran — wrote  letter  to  Madame  D'Oubril — walked 
about  Seville  by  moonlight  with  Dolgorouki. 

18th. — Rending  of  the  veil  at  the  cathedral. 

22d. — Sat  for  likeness  to  Escacena — write  letters  to  the  little  D'Oubrils. 

This  last  employment,  in  one  naturally  disinclined  to 
letter  writing,  illustrates  his  fondness  for  children,  of 
which,  and  their  fondness  for  him,  there  are  many  indi 
cations  in  the  letters  addressed  to  him  : — 

"  The  children  desire  to  be  remembered  to  the  choco 
late  merchant,  and  to  assure  you  that  they  have  not  for 
gotten  Hempen  House,  nor  the  German  princess  with  the 
long  nose  ; "  writes  Mr.  Thomas  Aspinwall  to  him  at 
one  time,  and  again  at  another:  "Madame  and  all  the 
young  fry  desire  their  .kindest  remembrance.  They  have 
picked  out  a  tree  for  you  to  lie  under,  and  tell  them 
stories  when  you  come  to  Highgate  next  summer." 

In  the  following  letter  we  find  Mr.  Irving  about  to  take 
another  look  at  Granada.  "I  had  intended,"  he  writes 
to  Mr.  Everett,  "  to  visit  the  African  coast ;  merely  Tan- 
giers  and  Tetuan  for  a  few  days,  to  get  a  peep  at  the  tur- 
baned  Infidels  in  their  own  towns,  but  I  fear  I  shall  have 
to  abandon  the  intention,  as  I  find  the  Austrians  are 
blockading  Tangiers."  He  was  the  more  desirous  to 
visit  Granada  a  second  time,  as  he  would  now  see  it  in 
all  the  beauty  of  its  vegetation,  and  when  he  was  there 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  149 

before,  the  spring  was  not  far  enough  advanced  "  to  leave 
a  full  idea  of  the  charms  of  the  scenery." 

[To  Peter  Irving,  Rouen.'} 

SEVILLE,  April  29,  1829. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

.  .  .  .  The  day  after  to-morrow  I  set  off  on  horseback  with  Prince 
Dolgorouki  for  Granada,  where  I  mean  to  indulge  myself  with  a  lux 
urious  life  among  the  groves  and  fountains  of  the  Alhainbra.  I  shall 
be  there  in  the  most  splendid  season,  with  moonlight  nights.  If  I  have 
a  writing  vein  there,  of  which  I  am  in  hopss,  I  shall  remain  there  for  a 
month  or  six  weeks.  I  beg  you,  therefore,  to  continue  to  write  to  me  to 
the  care  of  Don  Miguel  Walsh. 

I  have  just  received  Navarrete's  third  volume,  and  will  look  over  it  to 
see  what  corrections  it  will  be  necessary  for  me  to  make  in  my  "  History 
of  Columbus." 

I  write  in  extreme  haste.  Let  me  hear  from  you  often.  You  have  the 
true  art  of  letter  writing,  for  your  letters  always  present  the  bright  side 
of  things,  and  put  me  in  good  humor  and  good  spirits. 

I  will  write  to  you  at  more  length  from  Granada.  The  prince  and  my 
self  travel  alone.  He  came  down  here  in  company  with  the  French  am 
bassadress  and  a  large  party,  but  deserted  them  all  to  remain  with  me. 

He  is  of  an  amiable  temper  and  a  most  affectionate  disposition 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 


CHAPTER  XIL 

SOJOURN  IN  THE  ALHAMBRA. 

THE  GOVERNOR'S  QUARTERS. — AN  UNEXPECTED  VISITOR. — PASSAGES  OF  LET 
TERS. — THE   "  CONQUEST  OF   GRANADA  "   PUBLISHED   IN  LONDON. — FINISHES 

THE  "LEGENDS  OF  THE  CONQUEST  OF  SPAIN." — LETTERS  TO  PETER  ON 
THE  SUBJECT. — LETTER  TO  DOLGOROUKI.  — DUKE  DE  GOR. — HEARS  OF  HIS 
APPOINTMENT  AS  SECRETARY  OF  LEGATION  TO  LONDON. — LETTER  THERE 
UPON  TO  MR.  WETHERELL  AT  SEVILLE. — INDIFFERENCE  TO  OFFICIAL  HONOR. 
— LETTER  TO  LOUIS  MCLANE.  — TO  MR.  EVERETT. — HIS  PLAN  OF  RETURN 
BROKEN  UP. — LETTER  TO  PETER. — REPLY  TO  THE  OBJECTION  THAT  THE 
APPOINTMENT  WAS  BELOW  HIS  TALENTS  AND  POSITION. 

E.  IRVING  left  Seville  on  the  first  of  May,  in 
company  with  the  Prince  Dolgorouki,  and  after 
a  pleasant  journey  of  five  days  on  horseback,  of 
which  he  has  given  us  some  particulars  in  the  "  Tales  of 
the  Alhambra,"  arrived  at  Granada.  On  the  12th  of  May, 
he  left  the  Posada  de  la  Espada,  in  which  he  had  lodged 
on  his  arrival,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  the  Gover 
nor's  quarters  in  the  Alhambra,  who  had  given  him  per 
mission  on  the  day  previous  to  occupy  his  vacant  apart 
ments  in  that  august  old  pile. 

His  letters  speak  with  delight  of  this  romantic  resi 
dence. 

160 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING.  151 

You  see  [he  writes  to  Peter,  May  13]  I  date  my  letter  from  the  old 
Moorish  palace  itself  ;  for  yesterday,  by  permission  of  the  Governor  of  the 
Alhambra,  tne  prince  and  myself  moved  into  one  of  its  vacant  apart 
ments.  You  may  easily  imagine  how  delightfully  we  are  lodged  with  the 
whole  pile  at  our  command,  to  ramble  over  its  halls  and  courts  at  all 
hours  of  day  and  night  without  control.  The  part  we  inhabit  is  intended 
for  the  Governor's  quarters,  but  he  prefers  at  present  residing  down  in 
the  city.  We  have  an  excellent  old  dame  and  her  good-humored,  bright- 
eyed  niece,  who  have  charge  of  the  Alhambra,  who  arrange  our  rooms, 
meals,  etc.,  with  the  assistance  of  a  tall  servant  boy;  and  thus  we  live 
quietly,  snugly,  and  without  any  restraint,  elevated  above  the  world  and 
its  troubles.  I  question  if  ever  poor  Chico  el  Zogoyby  was  as  comfortable 
in  his  palace. 

On  the  very  evening  of  his  occupation,  he  was  surprised 
by  a  visit  from  his  nephew,  Edgar  Irving,  son  of  his 
brother  Ebenezer,  a  midshipman  in  the  navy,  who  was 
returning  home  from  a  cruise  in  the  Mediterranean,  when 
he  heard  of  his  being  there,  and  left  his  ship  at  Gibraltar 
to  pay  him  a  visit.  His  sudden  appearance  in  this  ro 
mantic  abode,  was,  writes  his  uncle,  "  as  if  he  had  dropt 
from  the  clouds,  or  been  conveyed  by  some  enchantment 
of  the  palace."  On  the  morning  of  the  16th,  the  prince 
set  off  to  continue  his  tour  through  Andalusia,  and  the 
following  day  his  nephew  took  his  departure  for  Andujar, 
Cordova,  Seville,  and  so  back  to  Gibraltar,  leaving  him 
the  solitary  tenant  of  the  Alhambra. 

Though  I  felt  rather  lonely  and  doleful  after-  your  departure  [he  writes 
to  his  nephew  at  Seville],  yet  I  considered  it  fortunate  that  you  departed 
when  you  did,  for  you  would  have  found  it  excessively  dismal  here  ;  the 


152  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

weather  being  wet  and  gloomy,  and  so  cold  that  for  a  day  or  two  I  had  to 
remain  the  whole  of  the  time  wrapped  in  my  cloak.  For  my  own  part  I 
managed  to  occupy  myself  with  my  pen  and  papers,  but  I  apprehend  you 
would  have  found  it  a  cheerless  life  to  stroll  about  the  cold  marble  halls 
even  of  a  palace.  The  return  of  fine  weather  and  sunshine  has  again 
restored  all  the  charms  of  the  Alhambra.  I  take  my  breakfast  in  the 
saloon  of  the  ambassadors  or  the  court  of  the  Lions  ;  and  in  the  evening, 
When  I  throw  by  my  pen,  I  wander  about  the  old  palace  until  quite  late, 
With  nothing  but  bats  and  owls  to  keep  me  company.  Little  Dolores,  the 
bright-eyed  Spanish  girl  who  waits  upon  me,  cannot  comprehend  the 
pleasure  I  find  in  these  lonesome  strolls  ;  as  nothing  would  tempt  her  to 
venture  down  into  the  great  dreary  courts  and  halls  of  the  palace  after 
dark  ;  and  Mateo  Ximenes,  the  ragged  historian  who  brushes  my  clothes, 
is  sadly  afraid  I  am  very  melancholy. 

To  the  father  he  writes  : — 

I  really  felt  heavy  at  heart  when  I  bid  him  farewell,  as  he  mounted  his 
horse  at  the  lower  gate  of  the  Alhambra,  and  I  was  for  a  long  time  on  the 
top  of  the  tower  of  Gomares,  watching  him  with  a  spyglass,  as  I  caught 
glimpses  of  him  at  the  turnings  of  the  road  across  the  Vega,  until  I  lost 
sight  of  him  and  his  tall  trudging  guide,  as  they  disappeared  behind  the 
foot  of  the  mountain  of  Elvira.  It  reminded  me  of  some  of  the  poor 
Moors,  who  must  have  often  watched  from  this  tower  the  march  of  armies 
in  that  direction,  as  he  departed  by  the  Bridge  of  Pinos  and  the  Puente 
de  Lope,  the  most  famous  pass  in  the  time  of  the  Moorish  wars. 

Seven  days  after  the  departure  of  the  prince,  he  writes 
to  him  : — 

ALIIAMBUA,  May  23, 1829. 
MY  DEAR  DOLGOROUKI  : — 

I  have  had  great  pleasure  in  receiving  your  letter  from  Malaga,  by 
which  I  found  that  you  had  arrived  so  far  in  safety,  ,  .  .  ,  For  » 


OF   WASHINGTON  IRVING.  153 

day  or  two  after  the  departure  of  yourself  and  my  nephew,  I  felt  some 
what  solitary,  especially  while  the  weather  was  clouded  and  rainy ;  but  I 
got  at  work  among  my  books  and  manuscripts,  and  have  become  quite 
busy  and  cheerful The  evening  of  the  day  of  your  depart 
ure,  the  Duke  of  Gor  paid  me  a  visit  in  the  Alhambra The 

next  day  I  dined  en  famille  with  the  duke ;  there  were  two  or  three  gen 
tlemen  present  besides  the  family,  and  I  found  the  party  extremely  agree 
able.  I  have  since  called  at  the  house  in  the  morning,  and  found  the 
duchess  surrounded  by  her  beautiful  children,  and  occupied  in  teaching 
some  of  them  to  write.  The  duke  has  many  old  chronicles,  etc.,  and 
some  curious  manuscripts,  which  he  has  offered  to  lend  me,  and  has  un 
dertaken  to  procure  me  access  to  the  conventual  libraries  ;  so  that  I  have 
no  doubt  I  shall  find  him  and  his  family  an  acquaintance  exactly  to  my 
taste. 

The  day  before  yesterday  the  Alhambra  was  invaded  by  a  detachment 
of  British  officers,  no  less  than  seven.  I  dine  with  some  of  them  to-day, 
who  are  quartered  in  a  Fonda,  just  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  of  the  Alham 
bra 

The  death  of  the  Queen  has  completely  closed  the  opera  for  a  long  time, 
I  shall  have  therefore  little  inducement  to  descend  into  the  city.  I  have 
been  down  but  once  in  the  course  of  several  days.  I  feel  perfectly  de 
lighted  with  the  sweetness  and  tranquillity  of  my  quarters,  and  as  they 
will  be  daily  improving  in  their  charms  as  the  weather  settles  and  grows 
warmer  and  more  sunny,  I  think  I  shall  feel  some  difficulty  in  tearing 
myself  away  from  them 

Dolores  and  the  Tia  send  you  a  thousand  expressions,  but  given  with 
such  volubility,  and  in  such  an  Andalusian  dialect,  that  I  cannot  under 
stand  half  of  them. 

I  am,  my  dear  Dolgorouki,  ever  your  attached  friend, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

To  his  friend  Henry  Brevoort,  he  writes  the  same 
day:— 


154  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

I  have  this  morning  received  your  most  welcome  letter  of  the  30th  of 
March,  which  you  forwarded  to  my  brother  Peter.  You  see  I  am  still  linger 
ing  in  Spain,  and  I  declare  to  you,  I  feel  so  much  interested  by  this  noble 
country  and  noble  people,  that  though  I  have  from  time  to  time  made 
resolutions  and  preparations  to  leave  them,  I  have  as  often  postponed  my 
departure.  By  the  date  of  my  letter  you  will  perceive  I  am  royally  quar 
tered.  I  came  to  Granada  about  three  weeks  since,  to  pass  a  little  time 
here  during  the  finest  season  of  the  year,  in  company  with  a  young  Rus 
sian  prince,  the  Secretary  of  the  Russian  Legation  ;  and  the  Governor  of 
the  Alhambra  finding  us  poorly  lodged  in  the  town,  gave  us  permission 
to  take  up  our  residence  in  a  corner  of  the  old  Moorish  palace,  which 
had  been  assigned  to  him  for  his  quarters,  but  which  he  had  not  taken 
possession  of.  Here,  then,  I  am  nestled  in  one  of  the  most  remarkable, 
romantic,  and  delicious  spots  in  the  world.  I  have  the  complete  range, 
and  I  may  say,  control  of  the  whole  palace,  for  the  only  residents  beside 
myself  are  a  worthy  old  woman,  her  niece  and  nephew,  who  have  charge 
of  the  building,  and  who  make  my  bed,  cook  my  meals,  and  are  all 
kindness  and  devotion  to  me.  I  breakfast  in  the  saloon  of  the  ambas 
sadors,  or  among  the  flowers  and  fountains  in  the  court  of  the  Lions, 
and  when  I  am  not  occupied  with  my  pen,  I  lounge  with  my  book  about 
these  oriental  apartments,  or  stroll  about  the  courts,  and  gardens,  and 
arcades,  by  day  or  night,  with  no  one  to  interrupt  me.  It  absolutely 
appears  to  me  like  a  dream  ;  or  as  if  I  am  spell-bound  in  some  fairy 
palace 

I  think  I  shall  be  tempted  to  remain  here  for  three  or  four  weeks  longer 
at  least.  I  wish  to  enjoy  the  delights  of  this  place  during  the  hot  weather, 
and  to  have  a  complete  idea  how  those  knowing  Moors  enjoyed  themselves 
in  their  marble  halls,  cooled  by  fountains  and  running  streams. 

I  thank  you  for  the  information  you  give  me  concerning  the  publication 
of  ray  works.  I  am  not  sorry  that  the  publication  of  the  second  edition 
of  "  Columbus  "  is  retarded,  as  I  may  have  to  make  a  few  alterations  and 
corrections,  in  consequence  of  having  just  received  Mr.  Navarrete's  third 
volume  of  documents,  containing  some  relative  to  Columbus.  For  tha 
same  reason  I  am  willing  the  Abridgment  should  be  held  back.  If  there 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  155 

is  any  particular  reason,  however,  for  hastening  the  publication  of  the 
latter,  let  it  take  place,  as  the  corrections  would  not  be  very  material. 

During  my  sojourn  in  the  Alhambra,  I  shall  have  leisure  and  quiet  to 
look  over  my  manuscripts  and  to  get  them  in  order,  so  as  to  present  some 
other  work  to  the  public  before  long.  I  shall  also  note  down  the  correc 
tions  to  be  made  in  the  "  History  of  Columbus."  .  .  .  ;  Your  par 
ticulars  concerning  our  ancient  cronies  are  peculiarly  gratifying  to  me. 
Indeed,  my  dear  friend,  you  cannot  imagine  how  I  dote  on  the  remem 
brance  of  old  friends  and  old  times.  I  have  laughed  heartily  at  your  ac 
count  of  that  bulbous  little  worthy,  Jack  Nicholson.  Give  my  hearty 
remembrances  to  him,  and  tell  him  I  set  as  much  store  by  him  as  ever, 
notwithstanding  he  does  not  write  me  any  more  letters.  I  am  rejoiced 
to  hear  that  ....  has  at  length  come  uppermost  in  the  political 

wheel.  What  a  whirligig  world  we  live  in  !  and  then  to  have  for 

his  faithful  Squire  !  I  think  it  a  pity  fat  Jack  Falstaff  had  not  lived  in 
these  piping  times.  I'll  warrant  me  he  would  have  had  the  robbing  of 
the  exchequer. 

Your  account  of  yourself  is  particularly  encouraging—"  that  you  might 
pass  yourself  off  for  a  fresh  bachelor  of  35  " — God  bless  us  !  who  knows 
but  I  may  be  the  same — though  I  must  confess,  I  think  I  am  beginning 
to  wax  old  as  doth  a  garment,  and  am,  like  Jack  Nicholson,  gradually 
increasing  in  the  belt.  However,  I  begin  to  grow  hardened  and  shame 
less  in  the  matter,  and  have  for  some  time  past  given  up  all  gallanting, 
and  declared  myself  an  absolute  old  bachelor. 

You  seem  to  be  all  masking  mad  in  New  York,  I  am  afraid  our  good 
city  is  in  a  bad  way  as  to  both  morals  and  manners.  What  the  cities  of 
the  old  world  take  moderately  and  cautiously  she  gets  roaring  drunk 
with.  I  must  say  all  this  rioting  and  dancing  at  the  theatres,  with  public 
masquerades  every  night  in  the  week  has  a  terribly  low-lived,  dissolute, 
vulgar  look.  We  are  too  apt  to  take  our  ideas  of  English  life  from  such 
vulgar  sources  as  Tom  and  Jerry,  and  we  appear  to  be  Tom  and  Jerrying 
it  to  perfection  in  New  York. 

Give  my  kindest  remembrances  to  your  good  parents  and  to  all  the  Ren- 
wick  family.  It  gives  me  sincere  delight  to  hear  that  Mrs.  Benwick 


156  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

enjoys  such  good,  health  and  good  spirits.  My  dear  Brevoort,  the  hap 
piest  day  of  my  life  will  be  when  I  once  more  find  myself  among  you  all. 
We  will  then  talk  over  old  times,  and  vaunt  as  much  of  our  old  feats  and 
old  frolics  as  did  ever  Master  Shallow  and  fat  Jack.  I  have  got  so  en 
tangled,  however,  in  literary  undertakings  here  in  Europe  that  I  cannot 
break  away  without  interrupting  all  my  schemes,  and  sacrificing  profits 
which  a  little  time,  patience,  and  perseverance  will  enable  me  to  realize, 
and  which  I  trust  will  secure  me  a  .moderate  independence  for  the  re 
mainder  of  my  existence.  This  alone  keeps  me  from  immediately  re 
turning.  My  dearest  affections  are  entirely  centred  in  my  country. 

Your  affectionate  friend, 

W.  IRVING. 

It  was  on  the  day  of  the  date  of  this  letter,  that  the 
"Chronicles  of  Granada,"  which  had  appeared  in  New 
York  on  the  20th  of  April,  were  published  in  London, 
the  work,  though  ready,  having  been  kept  back  by  Mur 
ray  in  consequence  of  the  Catholic  Emancipation  ques 
tion,  which  then  occupied  the  minds  and  attention  of 
everybody.  In  July,  Aspinwall  wrote  him  that  Murray 
said  it  did  not  sell  well,  but  that  Newton  was  delighted 
with  it,  and  Coleridge  considered  it  the  chef  d'wuvre  of  its 
kind.  Peter,  who  had  set  his  heart  upon  his  sticking  to 
his  imaginary  chronicler,  and  completing  his  projected 
history  of  Moorish  domination  in  Spain,  under  the  guid 
ance  of  that  delusive  personage  Fray  Agapida,  wrote  him 
that  though  some  disliked  the  fiction  of  Agapida,  and  the 
dashes  of  comic  humor  gravely  given  through  him,  yet 
that  many  persons  of  taste  and  judgment,  whose  favora 
ble  opinion  was  no  slight  sanction,  were  delighted  with 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING  157 

the  amusing  manner  by  which  censure  is  conveyed  by 
the  bigoted  and  ill-directed  praises  of  the  old  chronicle. 
The  moral  and  the  lesson,  he  observed,  were  both  per 
fectly  given  in  his  view,  while  the  mode  of  effecting  the 
object  was  both  original  and  highly  entertaining. 

At  the  date  of  the  following  letter,  the  author  was 
about  putting  the  finishing  touches  to  "The  Legends  of 
the  Conquest  of  Spain,"  which  were  brought  to  an  end 
"in  the  Alhambra,  June  10,  1829,"  though  six  years 
elapsed  before  their  publication.* 

[To  Peter  Irving,  Rouen.] 

ALHAMBRA,  May  30, 1829. 
MY  DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

.  .  .  .  I  have  been  working  for  some  days  past  upon  the  story  of 
the  "Invasion  by  the  Moors;"  part  of  what  I  have  done  I  think  will 
please,  but  I  cannot  help  contracting  the  whole  into  very  moderate  limits. 
There  are  no  substantial  materials  for  an  ample  chronicle  like  the  "  Con 
quest  of  Granada."  The  history  of  "Don  Roderick,"  as  generally  ad 
mitted  by  chroniclers,  lies  within  a  narrow  compass.  To  follow  the 
chronicle  of  the  Moor  Basis  in  all  its  details  would  be  to  ride  the  inven 
tion  of  another,  for  it  is  just  as  much  a  fiction  as  the  "  Gonsalvo  of  Cor 
dova  "  of  Florian,  and  a  great  part  of  the  fiction  is  flimsy  and  in  bad 
taste.  I  will  do  what  I  can  with  it,  but  I  have  an  internal  feeling  in  these 
matters  which  is  tyrannical  with  me,  and  which  I  vainly  strive  against ; 
or  if  ever  I  do  work  against  it  I  am  sure  to  come  lamely  off.  I  have  picked 
some  parts  out  of  the  chronicle  of  the  Moor  which,  worked  up  with  ma 
terials  from  other  writers,  are  admirable,  and  will  add  great  richness  to 

*  The  Legends  close  as  follows  :  "Written  in  the  Alhambra,  June  10, 1829."  "  Fin 
ished  Don  Roderick,'"  is  the  entry  in  his  diary  of  June  11. 


158  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

the  usual  course  of  his  history.  But  the  greater  part  of  his  episodes  I  have 
had,  on  much  reflection,  and  after  repeated  trial,  to  reject.  I  am  anxious, 
before  I  leave  my  present  quiet  retreat,  to  put  other  manuscripts  in  order, 
so  that  I  may  have  materials  to  work  upon  with  facility,  even  in  the  midst 
of  distractions  ;  but  I  find  it  difficult  just  now  to  apply  myself  with  the 
vigor  and  assiduity  I  could  wish.  My  mind  is  not  sufficiently  quiet  and 
composed.  I  am  full  of  anxiety  to  return  home,  etc 

On  the  12th  of  June,  Mr.  Irving  vacated  the  Governor's 
apartments  in  the  Alhambra,  and  moved  his  bed  into  the 
little  chamber  looking  into  the  garden  of  Lindaraxa. 

Nothing  could  be  more  favorable  for  study  and  literary  occupation, 
[he  writes  to  Peter  the  next  day,]  than  my  present  abode.  I  have  a  room 
in  one  of  the  most  retired  parts  of  the  old  palace.  One  window  looks  into 
the  little  garden  of  Lindaraxa,  a  kind  of  patio,  full  of  flowers  with  a  foun 
tain  in  the  centre  ;  another  window  looks  down  upon  the  deep  valley  of 
the  Darro,  which  murmurs  far  below,  and  in  front  of  the  window,  on  the 
breast  of  a  mountain  covered  with  groves  and  gardens,  extends  the  old 
Moorish  palace  of  the  Generalife.  I  have  nothing  but  the  sound  of  water, 
the  humming  of  bees,  and  the  singing  of  nightingales  to  interrupt  the 
profound  silence  of  my  abode  ;  and  at  night,  stroll  until  midnight  about 
the  galleries  overlooking  the  garden  and  the  landscape,  which  are  now 
delicious  at  night  from  the  brightness  of  the  moon. 

I  am  determined  to  linger  here  until  I  get  some  writings  under  way 
connected  with  the  place,  and  that  shall  bear  the  stamp  of  real  intimacy 
with  the  charming  scenes  described. 

It  is  a  singular  good  fortune  to  be  thrown  into  this  most  romantic  and 
historical  place,  which  has  such  a  sway  over  the  imaginations  of  readers  in 
all  parts  of  the  world,  and  I  think  it  worth  while  departing  from  my 
original  plan  and  remaining  here  a  little  while  to  profit  by  it. 

I  am  so  delightfully  situated  that  I  descend  but  rarely  into  Granada. 
1  have  a  very  excellent  place  of  resort  there,  however,  in  the  house  of  the 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  159 

Duke  of  Gor.  He  is  between  thirty  and  forty  years  of  age,  extremely 
prepossessing  in  his  appearance,  frank,  friendly,  and  simple  in  his  man 
ners  ;  one  of  the  best  informed  and  most  public  spirited  men  in  the 
place.  The  duchess  is  perfect  amiability,  and  they  have  a  charming 
family  of  children.  The  duke  has  a  curious  library,  which  he  has  offered 
for  my  use.  He  has  procured  me  permission  also  to  visit  when  I  please 
the  old  Jesuit  library  of  the  university,  where  I  am  left  to  myself  with 
the  keys  of  the  bookcases,  to  pass  the  whole  day  if  I  please,  rummaging  at 
perfect  liberty 

[To  Prince  DolgoroukiJ] 

AI.HAMBRA,  June  15,  1829. 
MY  DEAR  DOLGOROUKI  : 

Your  letter  from  Seville  was  highly  gratifying  to  me 

How  I  regret  you  could  not  have  remained  here  some  time  longer  with 
me.  With  all  your  raptures  about  Granada  you  scarcely  know  anything 
of  its  real  charms.  The  Alhambra  requires  warm  summer  weather  to 
make  one  sensible  of  its  peculiar  delights,  and  as  to  the  beauties  of  the 
scenery,  they  are  only  to  be  found  out  by  quiet  strolls  in  all  directions. 
Such  delicious  walks  as  I  have  found  out  !  and  such  enchanting  pros 
pects  !  really  surpassing  anything  we  have  seen  together.  And  then  I 
have  such  a  chamber  I  You  remember  the  little  suite  of  rooms  locked 
up,  where  the  Italian  artist  worked  who  had  been  repairing  the  Alham 
bra.  It  is  an  apartment  built  either  by  Charles  V.  or  Philip,  and  termi 
nates  in  the  open  gallery  where  Chateaubriand  wrote  his  name  on  the 
wall.  I  have  taken  possession  of  that  apartment,  and  one  room  is  very 
comfortably  fitted  up  as  my  bedroom  and  study.  I  never  had  such  a  de 
licious  abode.  One  of  my  windows  looks  into  the  little  garden  of  Linda- 
raxa  ;  the  citron-trees  are  full  of  blossoms,  and  perfume  the  air,  and 
the  fountain  throws  up  a  beautiful  jet  of  water;  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  garden  is  a  window  opening  into  the  saloon  of  Las  dos  Her- 
manas,  through  which  I  have  a  view  of  the  fountain  of  Lions  and  a  dis 
tant  peep  into  the  gloomy  halls  of  the  Abencerrages.  Another  window 


160  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

of  my  room  looks  out  upon  the  deep  valley  of  the  Darro,  and  commands  a 
fine  view  of  the  Generalife.  I  am  so  in  love  with  this  apartment  that  I 
can  hardly  force  myself  from  it  to  take  my  promenades.  I  sit  by  my 
window  until  late  at  night,  enjoying  the  moonlight  and  listening  to  the 
sound  of  the  fountains  and  the  singing  of  the  nightingales  ;  and  I  have 
walked  up  and  down  the  Chateaubriand  gallery  until  midnight.  There 
is  something  so  completely  solitary  and  tranquil  in  thus  being  shut  up  in 
the  centre  of  this  great  deserted  palace.  The  good  Tia  and  little  Dolores 
remonstrated  at  first  at  my  remaining  alone  in  such  a  remote  part  of  the 
old  building,  out  of  the  reach  of  all  assistance,  especially  as  there  was  no 
fastening  to  any  of  the  doors  and  windows,  excepting  a  slight  lock  to  the 
outer  door.  I  could  not  resist  the  temptation  of  such  a  chamber,  how 
ever,  and  passed  several  nights  here,  in  defiance  of  robbers  and  Moros 
encantados.  This  day  Mateo  Ximenes  has  summoned  up  all  his  me 
chanical  powers,  ana  has  been  at  work  securing  the  doors  and  windows 
with  bars  and  bolts,  so  that  at  present  I  am  in  a  state  to  stand  a  tolerable 
siege. 

Little  Dolores  is  very  grateful  for  your  remembrances  of  her,  and  de 
sires  me  to  say  a  thousand  kind  things  on  her  part.  She  is  an  excellent 
little  being,  with  a  great  deal  of  natural  cleverness  united  with  great 
naivete.  She  takes  good  care  of  me  in  consequence  of  your  parting  recom 
mendation.  Mateo  Ximenes,  the  historiador,  continues  to  be  my  valet 
de  chambre,  messenger,  and  occasional  guide  and  companion  in  my  strolls 
about  the  country,  and  has  really  taken  me  to  several  charming  points  of 
view  which  I  should  not  otherwise  have  discovered 

If  you  can  put  me  up  a  parcel  of  French  and  English  newspapers  and 
forward  them  to  me  by  any  Corsario,  you  will  do  me  a  vast  kindness,  for 
I  am  totally  behindhand  in  the  news  of  the  day,  and  do  not  know  which 
way  the  world  is  rolling.  I  do  not  care  how  old  the  papers  are,  for  it  is 
two  or  three  months  since  I  have  seen  any.  Give  my.affectionate  remem 
brances  to  the  family,  and  believe  me,  my  dear  Dolgorouki. 

Ever  your  attached  friend  and  fellow-traveller, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  161 

; 

[To  Peter  Irving. ~] 

ALHAMBBA,  July  4,  1829. 

.  .  .  .  I  shall  remain  here  some  little  time  longer.  The  weather 
is  intensely  hot  for  travelling,  while  here  I  am  living  in  a  Mussulman's 
paradise.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  delicious  these  cool  halls  and  courts  are 

in  this  sultry  season My  room  is  so  completely  in  the  centre 

of  the  old  castle  that  I  hear  no  sound  but  the  hum  of  bees,  the  notes  of 
birds,  and  the  murmuring  of  fountains. 

A  day  or  two  since  the  Duke  of  Gor  passed  the  day  with  me,  with  hia 
family  of  lovely  children,  the  eldest  a  beautiful  girl  of  about  nine  years 
of  age.  They  came  to  breakfast,  and  stayed  until  night,  and  a  pleasant 
day  we  had  of  it 

I  live  in  the  old  palace  as  absolute  and  independent  as  the  Rey  Chico 

himself My  room  is  separated  from  the  residence  of  the 

family  by  long  galleries  and  halls,  and  the  winding  staircase  of  a  tower  ; 
and  when  1  barricade  myself  in  it  for  the  night,  the  little  Dolores  crosses 
herself  to  think  I  should  venture  to  remain  alone  in  such  a  remote  part 
of  this  enchanted  palace.  In  one  of  the  great  patios  or  courts  there  is  a 
noble  tank  of  water,  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  long  and  between 
twenty  and  thirty  feet  wide.  The  sun  is  upon  it  all  day,  so  that  at  night  it 
is  a  delightfully  tempered  bath,  in  which  I  have  room  to  swim  at  large. 

The  gardens  in  the  neighborhood  abound  with  fine  fruits,  strawberries, 
apricots,  etc.,  etc.,  and  brebas  or  early  figs  of  that  large,  delicious  kind 
which  we  met  with  one  morning  in  a  garden  near  Madrid.  What  I  would 
give,  my  dear  brother,  if  you  were  here  to  pass  some  time  with  me.  It  is 
just  the  kind  of  place  that  your  imagination  could  conceive  for  a  summer 
residence  ;  one  really  lives  here  in  a  species  of  enchantment. 

At  the  date  of  the  following  letter,  the  diary  has  this 
memorandum  :  "  Finished  MS.  of  '  Moor's  Legacy.'     Ee- 
ceived  letters  informing  me  of  my  appointment  as  Secre 
tary  of  Legation  to  London."     The  letter  is  addressed  to 
VOL.  n. — 11 


162  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

an  English  acquaintance,  who  had  just  returned  to  Se 
ville  from  Madrid,  and  is  from  a  copy  preserved  among 
the  author's  papers. 

ALHAMBRA,  July  18, 1829. 
MY  DEAR  DON  WETHEEELL  : — 

.  .  .  .  You  will  be  sorry  to  hear  that  Mr.  Everett  is  superseded  by 
a  new  minister,  among  the  sweeping  changes  made  by  our  new  President. 
Another  piece  of  news  will  probably  surprise  you  almost  as  much  as  it  has 
me,  namely  :  that  I  am  appointed  Secretary  of  Legation  to  London.  So 
goes  this  mad  world  ;  honors  and  offices  are  taken  from  those  who  seek 
them  and  are  fitted  for  them,  and  bestowed  on  those  who  have  no  relish 
for  them.  I  received  news  of  my  appointment  this  morning,  with  pack 
ets  of  letters  from  my  friends,  urging  me  to  accept  a  mark  of  respect  con 
ferred  on  me  without  any  solicitation.  I  confess  I  feel  extremely  reluc 
tant  to  give  up  my  quiet  and  independent  mode  of  life,  and  am  exces 
sively  perplexed.  There  are  many  private  reasons,  independent  of  the 
mere  wishes  of  my  friends  that  urge  me  on,  while  my  antipathy  to  the 
bustle,  show,  and  business  of  the  world  incline  me  to  hold  back.  I  only 
regret  that  I  had  not  been  left  entirely  alone,  and  to  dream  away  life  in 
my  own  way. 

You  tell  me  that  Don  Juan  Nicasio  Gallego  is  translating  my  "  Life 
of  Columbus."  If  he  wait  a  little  while,  the  second  edition  will  be  pub 
lished  in  America,  with  many  alterations,  and  I  will  take  care  to  forward 
him  a  copy. 

I  am  scribbling  this  in  a  great  hurry,  as  you  may  suppose,  having  to 
reply  to  the  letters  received  this  morning,  and  my  mind  being  confused 
by  their  contents.  When  you  write  to  your  sister,  give  my  kind  remem 
brances  to  her  and  to  the  girls. 

Give  my  kind  regards  also  to  your  father  and  mother,  and  to  all  the 
*olks  of  our  little  Tertullia,  and  believe  me  ever  very  truly, 

Your  friend, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  163 

\To  Peter  Irving,  Esq.] 

ALHAMBRA,  July  18, 1829. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

I  received  by  the  last  post  your  letter  of  July  1st  inclosing  letters  from 
E.  I.  and  Brevoort,  relative  to  a  proposition  to  appoint  me  Secretary  of 
Legation  to  London,  and  by  your  letter  of  July  5th,  received  this  morn 
ing,  I  find  the  appointment  has  been  made.  I  regret  that  you  have  not 
expressed  your  opinion  or  your  wishes  on  this  subject.  I  am  only  left  to 
guess  at  them  by  your  inclosing  the  note  written  to  you  by  Beasley, 
wherein  he  says  I  must  accept.  Such  seems  to  be  the  opinion  and  the 
desire  of  my  brothers  and  friends  in  America.  I  have  a  thorough  indif 
ference  to  all  official  honors,  and  a  disinclination  for  the  turmoil  of  the 
world  :  yet  having  no  reasons  of  stronger  purport  for  declining,  I  am 
disposed  to  accord  with  what  appears  to  be  the  wishes  of  my  friends. 
My  only  horror  is  the  bustle  and  turmoil  of  the  world — how  shall  I  stand 
it  after  the  delicious  quiet  and  repose  of  the  Alhambra  ?  I  had  intended, 
however,  to  quit  this  place  before  long,  and,  indeed,  was  almost  reproach 
ing  myself  for  protracting  my  sojourn,  having  little  better  than  sheer 
self-indulgence  to  plead  for  it ;  for  the  effect  of  the  climate,  the  air,  the 
serenity  and  sweetness  of  the  place,  is  almost  as  seductive  as  that  of  the 
castle  of  Indolence,  and  I  feel  at  times  an  impossibility  of  working,  or  of 
doing  anything  but  yielding  to  a  mere  voluptuousness  of  sensation.  I 
found,  therefore,  that,  like  the  Knight  of  Industry,  it  was  necessary  to 
break  the  charm  and  escape;  and  had  resolved  to  depart  for  England 
preparatory  to  my  embarkation  for  America.  This  appointment,  there 
fore,  will  not  much  alter  the  course  of  my  movements I 

shall  prepare  for  my  departure  for  England ;  but  I  will  not  commit  my 
self  as  to  this  appointment  until  absolutely  necessary,  as  I  may  hear  from 
you  in  the  interim,  and  be  induced  to  change  my  plans.  My  Spanish 
materials  I  can  work  up  in  England,  where  I  can  have  all  the  necessary 
works,  and  where  you  will  be  within  reach  to  consult  with.  Should  I 
find  the  office  of  Secretary  of  Legation  irksome  in  any  respect,  or  detri- 


164  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

mental  to  my  literary  plans,  I  will  immediately  throw  it  up,  being  for 
tunately  independent  of  it,  both  as  to  circumstances  and  as  to  ambition. 

The  next  day  Mr.  Irving  was  informed  that  his  old 
friend  Paulding,  who  was  at  Washington  at  the  time,  had 
earnestly  seconded  the  appointment,  and,  indeed,  had 
been  a  principal  hand  in  promoting  it.  A  day  or  two 
after,  he  received  a  letter  from  Paulding,  strongly  urging 
his  acceptance,  and  advising  him  in  that  event  to  repair 
immediately  to  London  to  meet  Mr.  McLane,  the  newly 
appointed  Minister  to  the  Court  of  St.  James,  about  the 
time  of  his  arrival.  He  wrote  to  that  gentleman  the  next 
day  as  follows : — 

[To  Louis  McLane,  London.] 

ALHAMBRA,  GRANADA,  July  22, 1829. 

MY  DEAE  SIR: — 

I  have  just  received  intelligence  of  my  being  appointed  Secretary  of 
Legation  to  the  Court  of  St.  James,  and  that  I  am  expected  to  join  you 
in  London  as  soon  as  possible.  It  gives  me  great  satisfaction,  sir,  to  be 
associated  in  office  with  one  of  'vhom  public  report  and  the  private  com 
munications  of  my  friends  speak  in  the  highest  terms  of  eulogy.  I  shall 
make  all  possible  despatch  in  arriving  at  London,  but  must  crave  indul 
gence  should  I  not  be  there  as  early  as  you  could  wish.  This  intelligence 
has  been  entirely  unexpected,  and  has  found  me  in  the  midst  of  occupa 
tions  and  engagements  of  a  literary  nature,  from  which  it  will  require  a 
few  days  to  disentangle  myself.  The  travelling  in  Spain,  also,  is  slow, 
particularly  at  this  sultry  season.  I  trust,  however,  I  shall  be  able  to 
join  you  towards  the  end  of  August. 

In  the  meantime,  my  dear  sir,  I  remain  with  great  respect  and  esteem. 
Your  very  humble  servant, 

WASHINGTON  IRVTNQ. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  1G5 

To  Mr.  Everett  he  wrote  the  same  day : — 

ALHAMBRA,  July  22d,  J829. 
MY  DEAR  SIR  : — 

It  is  with  great  regret  that  I  perceive  your  name  among  the  number  of 
those  who  have  fallen  beneath  the  edge  of  the  old  general's  sword ;  which 
certainly  spares  not.  As  you  seemed  to  be  in  some  measure  prepared  for 
the  event,  and  are  so  independent  of  official  honors  by  your  varied  talent 
and  resources,  I  presume  it  has  not  much  shaken  your  philosophy.  I 
fancy  you  must  have  been  somewhat  surprised  among  the  list  of  appoint 
ments  to  see  my  name  as  Secretary  of  Legation  at  London.  You  could 
not  be  more  surprised  than  I  was  myself.  I  have  neither  sought  nor  de 
sired  office,  nor  has  any  application  been  made  for  me  by  my  family  or 
friends.  But  so  it  is  in  this  world ;  they  take  from  those  who  are  willing 
and  capable,  and  give  to  the  indifferent  and  incompetent.  I  have  been 
completely  perplexed  by  this  matter  for  a  few  days  past.  I  have  no  in 
clination  for  office  ;  and  I  question  whether  I  have  a  turn  for  it ;  my  re 
cluse  literary  life,  for  some  time  past,  has  almost  unfitted  me  for  the  bus 
tle  and  business  of  the  world,  and  I  have  no  political  ambition  to  urge  me 
forward  in  an  official  career.  My  brothers  and  my  most  particular 
friends,  however,  have  all  written  to  me,  urging  me  so  strongly  to  accept 
this  that  I  have  yielded  to  their  wishes,  in  opposition  to  my  own.  As  the 
office  has  been  unsought  by  me,  so  in  accepting  it  I  shall  have  it  clearly 
understood,  that  I  commit  myself  to  no  set  of  men  or  measures,  but  mean, 
as  heretofore,  to  keep  myself  as  clear  as  possible  of  all  party  politics, 
and  to  continue  to  devote  all  my  spare  time  to  general  literature. 

.  .  .  .  I  am  much  gratified  by  the  favorable  opinion  you  express  of 
the  "  Chronicle  of  Granada."  I  have  had  no  intelligence  from  England 

since  its  publication I  have  been  passing  eight  or  ten  weeks 

delightfully  in  this  old  enchanted  palace,  and  know  not  how  I  shall  relish 
the  smoke,  the  noise,  the  hurry,  and  the  commonplace  of  London  after  such 
a  tranquil  and  poetical  abode I  am  glad  that  Don  Jorge  *  is 


166  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

likely  soon  to  get  his  work  into  print  ;  as  the  old  wives  say,  he  has  had 
a  trying  time  of  it.       Ever  faithfully,  your  friend, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

To  his  brother  Ebenezer  he  wrote  the  same  day  (July 
22)  that  his  first  thought  on  receiving  the  news  of  his 
appointment  was  to  decline,  but  perceiving  it  was  the 
earnest  wish  of  his  relatives,  he  had  resolved  to  accept. 

I  have  been  in  a  great  measure  inclined  also  to  this  determination  [he 
adds]  by  the  very  handsome  manner  in  which  the  office  has  been  offered 
me  by  government,  without  any  view  to  party  purposes,  and  without  any 
solicitation  by  me  or  my  friends.  I  consider  it,  therefore,  as  emanating 
from  my  country,  and  a  proof  of  the  good  will  of  my  countrymen,  and  in 
this  light  it  is  most  flattering  and  gratifying  to  me.  It  is  singular  how 
circumstances  conspire  to  prolong  my  absence  from  home.  I  had  made 
up  my  mind  to  return  to  America  this  year.  When  I  left  Seville,  I 
packed  up  my  books  in  trunks  and  left  them  there  ready  to  be  shipped 
for  New  York.  It  was  my  plan,  after  making  a  tour  in  Andalusia  and 
revisiting  Granada,  to  embark  for  England,  make  literary  arrangements 
in  London,  pay  a  farewell  visit  to  Peter  and  our  connections  in  Birming 
ham,  and  set  sail  in  the  autumn  for  New  York.  This  appointment  breaks 
up  all  this  plan,  and  again  puts  off  my  return  to  an  indefinite  period. 
This  is  a  great  source  of  regret,  for  the  desire  to  return  home  has  been 
continually  growing  upon  me,  and  all  my  schemes  for  a  long  time  past 
have  been  shaped  towards  that  end. 

[To  Peter  Irving,  JRouen.] 

BA,  July  22,  1829. 


MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :  — 

I  received  yesterday  your  letter  of  July  6th,  inclosing  those  of  J.  K. 
Paulding  and  Beasley.     You  will  have  seen  by  my  previous  letter  that  1 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  167 

had  guessed  at  your  wishes  with  respect  to  my  appointment  ;  but  your 
letter  gives  me  great  satisfaction  in  expressing  your  opinion  so  decidedly. 
I  now  feel  assured  and  contented  in  the  decision  I  had  made.  Never 
hesitate  to  give  me  your  advice  in  all  matters,  whether  trivial  or  impor 
tant.  You  are  my  better  half,  and  in  most  matters  I  have  more  confi 
dence  in  your  judgment  than  in  my  own. 

I  shall  leave  the  Alhambra  in  the  course  of  a  very  few  days,  but  I  sha\l 
leave  it  with  great  regret.  Never  in  my  life  have  I  had  so  delicious  an 
abode,  and  never  can  I  expect  to  meet  with  such  another.  The  weather  is 
now  intolerably  hot,  and  even  reaches  some  of  the  main  halls  and  courts  of 
the  palace,  but  I  have  a  delightful  retreat  in  the  halls  of  the  baths,  which 
are  almost  subterranean,  and  as  cool  as  grottoes.  For  a  fortnight  past  the 
old  Count  of  Luque  has  been  living  in  the  Alhambra  for  his  health.  His 
chief  infirmity,  however,  is  old  age,  which  even  the  airs  of  the  Alhambra 
cannot  cure.  He  is  the  lineal  descendant  of  the  Grand  Captain,  Gonzalvo, 
of  Cordova,  and  appears  to  have  some  remains  of  gunpowder  propensities, 
as  he  has  been  a  great  chasseur  in  his  time,  and  even  now  amuses  himself 
with  firing  at  swallows  from  the  balconies  of  the  hall  of  Ambassadors  in 
the  lofty  tower  of  Comares.  The  old  gentleman  and  myself  eat  our 
meals  together  in  the  Patio  de  los  Leones,  amongst  flowers  and  fountains, 
and  in  the  evening  the  countess  comes  up  to  the  Alhambra  with  a  little 
party  to  play  at  Tresillo.  I  have  this  morning  accompanied  the  old  gen 
tleman  to  town,  and  been  over  the  whole  of  his  palace,  which  is  of  his 
own  planning  and  building,  and  an  odd  piece  of  architecture  it  is.  In 
his  archives  I  found  a  sword  of  the  Grand  Captain— and  in  the  gar 
ret,  covered  with  dust,  several  unwieldy  arquebuses  with  matchlocks, 
which,  doubtless,  made  a  great  noise  in  the  time  of  the  conquest  of 
Granada. 


A  day  or  two  after  his  despatch  to  Mr.  McLanes  he 
received  a  letter  from  his  brother  Peter,  conveying  the 
opinion  of  some  friends,  that  the  office  conferred  was 


168  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

below  his  talents  and  standing  in  the  world,  to  which  he 
replied  as  follows : — 

ALHAMBBA,  July  25,  1829. 

I  have  just  received  your  letters  of  July  9  and  12.  It  is  too  late  to  be 
influenced  by  the  afterthoughts  of  honest ,  suggested  by  the  conver 
sation  of ,  as  I  have  already  written  to  Mr.  McLane  that  I  would  join 

him  in  London.  There  is  much  force  in  what  they  say  ;  but  after  all, 
their  objections  are  merely  on  motives  of  self-pride  ;  that  I  ought  to  hold 
myself  above  such  minor  appointments,  etc.  Such  objections  have  little 
weight  with  me  ;  the  only  reputation  of  which  I  am  ambitious  is  not  to  be 
increased  or  decreased  by  official  station.  Had  the  office  of  minister  to 
London  or  consul  to  the  same  place  been  offered,  mere  considerations  of 
convenience  would  have  determined  my  choice  between  the  two.  What 
ever  ambition  I  possess  is  entirely  literary.  I  cannot  express  to  you  how 
much  the  habit  of  turning  my  thoughts  to  this  point  continually  has 
made  me  careless  about  all  others.  I  accepted  this  appointment,  there- 
sore,  because  it  would  gratify  my  friends,  and  would  link  me  with  my 

country I  am  perfectly  content,  therefore,  for  a  time  to  be 

Secretary  of  Legation.  If  the  world  thinks  I  ought  to  be  minister,  so 
much  the  better  ;  the  world  honors  me,  but  I  do  not  degrade  myself, 
have  the  same  feeling  in  this  respect  that  I  have  always  had  on  points  of 
precedence ;  I  care  not  who  takes  the  lead  of  me  in  entering  an  apart 
ment,  or  sits  above  me  at  table.  It  is  better  that  half  a  dozen  should  say 
Why  is  he  seated  so  low  down  ?  than  any  one  should  casually  say  What 
right  has  he  to  be  at  the  top  ?  So  much  for  these  objections 

To  the  same  brother  he  writes,  July  28th,  having  se 
cured  travelling  company : — 

I  have  just  received  your  letter,  covering  that  of  Edward  Livingston, 
Mr.  Van  Buren,  etc.  I  leave  Granada  this  afternoon  at  five  o'clock  in  a 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  169 

kind  of  rumble-tumble  called  a  Tartana,  on  two  wheels.  We  put  in  mat 
tresses  on  which  we  lounge,  and  knock  our  heads  together ;  but  it  is  better 
than  travelling  on  horseback  in  this  hot  weather.  I  am  now  about  to  run 
the  gauntlet  along  the  Mediterranean  provinces,  and  if  I  get  out  of  Spain 
without  being  robbed,  I  shall  really  consider  myself  remarkably  fortunate. 
The  great  part  of  our  baggage,  however,  goes  on  by  Corsarios,  who  are 
numerous  and  well-armec 


CHAPTEK  XIH 

DEPARTURE  FROM  GRANADA. — LAST  LOOK  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA. — JOURNEY  IN  A 
TARTANA. — UNEXPECTED  CIVILITY  OF  THE  DUKE  DE  GOR. — ROBBER  ME 
MENTOES. — SPANISH  TRAVELLING. — MOURNFUL  FATE  OF  HIS  TRAVELLING 
COMPANION. — FIRST  IMPRESSIONS  OF  DIPLOMATIC  LIFE  AT  LONDON. — BAR- 
WAIN  IN  AMERICA  FOR  MOORE'S  "LIFE  OF  BYRON." — TWO  LETTERS  FROM 
MOORE  ON  THE  SUBJECT. — NEWTON. — WILLIAM  E.  WEST. — DETERMINES  TO 
ESCHEW  LITERARY  DRUDGERY,  AND  GIVE  DIPLOMATIC  LIFE  A  TRIAL. — RE 
SOLVES  UPON  A  LIFE  OF  WASHINGTON. 

WELVE  days  after  his  departure  from  Granada, 
Mr.  Irving  writes  as  follows  from  Valencia  to 
Henry  Brevoort : — 

.  .  .  .  I  left  the  Alhambra  on  the  29th  of  July,  after  having  passed 
between  two  and  three  months  there  in  a  kind  of  oriental  dream.  Never 
shall  I  meet  on  earth  with  an  abode  so  much  to  my  taste,  or  so  suited  to 
my  habits  and  pursuits. 

I  set  out  for  Granada  on  my  long  journey  for  England,  in  company  with 
a  young  Englishman,  Mr.  Ralph  Sneyd.  He  is  an  Oxonian,  .... 
and  well  bred,  intelligent,  and  amiable.  We  have  made  our  journey  to 
this  place  in  a.  kind  of  covered  cart  called  a  Tartana,  drawn  by  a  mule. 
In  this  we  put  two  mattresses,  on  which  we  lolled  as  we  were  trundled 
along  the  mountain  roads  at  the  average  of  about  twenty-eight  miles  a 
day.  The  heat  of  the  weather  at  this  season  of  the  year  made  it  unad- 
visable  to  travel  on  horseback,  and  as  it  was,  we  were  obliged  to  lie  by 

170 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING.  171 

several  hours  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  and  travel  very  early  in  the 
mornings  and  in  the  evenings. 

To  his  brother  Peter,  he  writes  six  days  before  from 
Murcia,  when  only  about  two  hundred  miles  on  his  jour 
ney  :— 

In  the  course  of  our  journey  I  met  with  unexpected  marks  of  the  kind 
ness  and  friendship  of  the  Duke  of  Gor.  Within  a  league  of  Guadix  a 
carriage  was  waiting  for  us  in  which  was  the  administrator  of  the  duke's 
estates  in  that  neighborhood.  He  conducted  us  to  the  duke's  house  in 
Guadix,  which  he  informed  us  was  at  our  command  as  long  as  we  chose 
to  remain  there.  Several  canons  of  the  cathedral  and  other  persons  of 
the  place  called  to  see  us  in  the  course  of  the  evening.  Ices  and  other  re 
freshments  were  served  us,  and  an  excellent  supper  prepared  for  us. 
Sancho  Panza  would  have  considered  himself  in  paradise  in  such  an 
abode,  but  we  left  it  about  daybreak,  and  proceeded  to  Gor,  a  small  vil 
lage  from  which  the  duke  takes  his  title.  It  is  situated  in  a  little  green 
valley  at  the  foot  of  lofty  and  rocky  mountains.  Here  we  passed  the 
heat  of  the  day  and  dined  in  the  old  family  castle,  now  almost  a  ruin, 
and  inhabited  as  a  farm-house  by  one  of  the  administrators  of  the  duke, 
who  had  received  orders  to  entertain  us.  I  was  extremely  gratified  by 
these  marks  of  attention  of  the  duke,  as  he  had  said  nothing  to  me  on  the 
subject. 

Two  days  later,  August  6th,  he  writes  to  Peter  from 
Alicant : — 

We  leave  this  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  in  a  Tartana,  and  have 
procured  of  the  governor  the  escort  of  two  soldiers,  to  continue  with  us 
for  two  days,  until  we  have  passed  through  some  dangerous  defiles  of  the 
mountains,  and  have  reached  the  main  post-road  to  Valencia  ;  aftei 
which  I  trust  we  shall  have  little  more  to  apprehend  from  this  kind  of 
gentry. 


172  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

In  the  two  days  here  mentioned,  in  which  he  passed 
through  some  of  the  most  dangerous  parts  of  the  country 
for  robbers,  he  writes  : — 

We  have  seen  innumerable  crosses  by  the  road-side ;  mementoes  of  un- 
'ortunate  travellers ;  and  also  the  skulls  of  robbers  hanging  in  iron  cages. 
At  one  place  four  robbers  were  brought  in  who  had  been  recently  cap 
tured.  In  another,  the  dead  body  of  a  robber  chieftain  who  had  been 
shot  through  the  head  by  the  alcalde  of  the  village.  We  have  had  the 
good  fortune,  however,  to  travel  unmolested,  and  have  at  length  reached 
a  place  from  whence  a  line  of  diligence  continues  on  to  France. 

From  this  place,  which  was  Valencia,  his  letter  to 
Brevoort  was  dated,  from  which  I  have  given  an  extract 
at  the  commencement  of  the  chapter.  I  continue  with 
some  further  extracts  from  the  same  letter  : — 

We  have  been  through  some  of  the  tracts  most  noted  for  robbers,  but 
have  escaped  without  being  obliged  to  pay  toll ;  though  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  way  we  had  no  other  escort  than  a  long-legged  Portuguese, 
with  a  musket,  who  acted  as  our  servant  along  the  road.  Travelling 
through  the  greater  part  of  Spain  is  pretty  much  the  same  at  present  as 
it  was  in  the  days  of  Don  Quixote.  The  posadas  and  ventas  have  seldom 
anything  to  give  you ;  you  must  either  bring  your  provisions  with  you, 
or  forage  for  them  through  the  village.  Our  beds  at  night  were  the  mat 
tresses  we  brought  in  the  cart,  which  were  spread  on  the  floor,  and  we 
laid  on  them  in  our  clothes.  The  mattresses  of  the  inns,  where  they  pos 
sess  such  conveniences,  are  not  to  be  trusted  at  this  season  of  the  year. 

We  have  now  arrived  at  the  diligence  road,  and  shall  henceforth  travel 
more  rapidly.  To-morrow  evening  we  start  in  the  diligence  for  Barce 
lona,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  I  hope  to  cross  the  Pyrenees  and 
und  myself  in  the  gay  country  of  Prance.  I  assure  you,  however,  I  shall 
leave  Spain  with  feelings  of  great  regret.  A  residence  of  between  threo 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  173 

and  four  years  in  it  has  reconciled  me  to  many  of  its  inconveniences  and 
defects,  and  I  have  learned  more  and  more  to  like  both  the  country  and 
the  people. 

Mr.  Irving  remained  in  Paris  a  fortnight  with  his 
brother  Peter,  when  hearing  of  the  arrival  of  Mr. 
McLane  at  Portsmouth,  he  set  off  to  meet  him  in 
London. 

In  a  letter  of  October  6th,  to  his  sister,  Mrs.  Paris, 
dated  from  that  city,  to  which  he  had  now  returned  after 
an  absence  of  more  than  five  years,  he  has  this  allusion 
to  the  fate  of  the  travelling  companion  with  whom  he 
left  Granada,  and  whom  he  describes  to  her  as  "  of  an 
old  family  in  Staffordshire,  the  Sneyds,  a  young  lady  of 
which  family,  if  you  recollect,  was  engaged  to  be  married 
to  the  unfortunate  Major  Andre." 

For  three  or  four  days  that  we  continued  at  Barcelona  I  was  engrossed 
by  the  illness  of  my  travelling  companion,  who  was  laid  up  by  a  fever, 
the  consequence  of  too  much  exposure  to  the  sun.  As  soon  as  he  could 
bear  travelling  we  set  off  in  the  diligence,  and  such  was  his  eagerness  to 
get  to  England  that  we  did  not  go  to  bed  until  we  arrived  at  Paris ;  trav 
elling  nine  days  and  nights  incessantly.  The  consequence  was  a  return 
of  his  fever,  which  confined  him  to  his  bed  for  several  days  at  Paris.  His 
object  was  to  get  to  England  by  the  beginning  of  September,  as  he  was 
to  be  presented  to  a  living  of  one  thousand  pounds  sterling  a  year.  An- 
other  living  of  about  the  same  income  would  fall  to  him  in  the  course  ol 
a  few  years,  and  he  was  to  have  about  fifteen  thousand  pounds  from  his 
mother.  He  had  engaged  himself  to  be  married  next  spring  to  a  beau 
tiful  girl,  the  daughter  of  the  British  consul  at  Cadiz  ;  and  was  anxious 
to  make  every  arrangement  for  a  speedy  return  to  Spain.  All  these  pros- 


174=  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

pects,  which  had  animated  him  throughout  our  journey,  and  had  been 
the  themes  of  our  frequent  conversation,  had  made  him  more  and  more 
impatient  to  get  on  the  nearer  he  arrived  to  his  journey's  end.  After 
being  several  days  in  bed  at  Paris,  he  took  advantage  of  the  first  return 
of  strength  to  set  off  with  all  haste  for  England.  Poor  fellow  !  on  my 
arrival  in  London  I  was  shocked  at  receiving  intelligence  of  his  death  ! 
The  scenes  I  have  had  with  his  afflicted  parents  are  too  painful  to  bo 
repeated. 

The  letter  which  follows  touches  upon  his  new  func 
tions,  and  gives  some  glimpses  of  old  acquaintances. 

[To  Peter  Irving,  Esq.,  Rouen.} 

LONDON,  October  16,  1829. 
MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :— 

.  .  .  .  Ever  since  my  arrival  in  London  I  have  been  so  unsettled 
and  so  hurried  about  by  various  concerns  that  I  have  not  had  a  moment 
to  devote  to  literary  matters.  Mr.  McLane  being  a  stranger  in  London, 
and  for  a  part  of  the  time  confined  to  his  bed  by  illness,  has  needed  my 
assistance  incessantly.  We  have  also  had  all  our  visits  of  ceremony  to 
perform,  which  in  this  huge  wilderness  of  a  city  take  up  a  great  deal  of 
time.  I  trust  the  hurry  and  bustle  is  now  over,  and  that  I  shall  begin  to 
have  more  time  to  myself.  Mr.  McLane  is  settled  in  a  very  commodious 
house,  No.  9  Chandos  Street,  Cavendish  Square  ;  and  I  have  taken  lodg 
ings  immediately  opposite  in  the  same  street,  so  that  in  half  a  minute  I 
can  step  from  my  own  sitting-room  to  the  office  of  the  legation,  which  is 
a  very  comfortable  one  and  entirely  at  my  command.  There  is  likely  to 
be  but  moderate  scribe  work  in  the  legation,  and  Mr.  McLane  seems  dis 
posed  to  take  the  greater  part  of  that  off  my  hands,  by  employing  young 
Walsh,  who  is  attached  to  the  legation,  and  whose  father  wishes  him  to 
be  considered  by  Mr.  McLane  as  a  kind  of  private  secretary 

Leslie  continues  rising  in  reputation.  I  have  not  seen  any  of  the  paint 
ings  he  has  produced  during  my  absence,  as  they  are  dispersed  in  the  col- 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  175 

lections  of  various  noblemen.  He  is  about  a  large  picture,  which  will  be 
a  very  rich  one— Falstaff  regaling  at  the  table  of  Justice  Shallow.  In  this 
he  introduces  most  of  the  characters  of  the  "  Merry  Wives  of  Windsor," 
etc.  He  is  at  the  same  time  painting  a  smaller  piece — Uncle  Toby  look 
ing  into  the  Widow  Wadmau's  eye.  It  is  admirable — the  figures  much 
larger  than  those  he  used  to  paint,  and  executed  with  great  spirit  and 
freedom,  and  a  happy  union  of  beauty  and  humor. 

King  Stephen  has  opened  Drury  Lane  with  very  tolerable  prospects, 
considering  the  depressed  state  of  theatres.  He  has  kindly  put  me  on  his 
free  list.  He  looks  like  the  description  of  the  "  old  commodore,"  who  had 
been  so  terribly  knocked  about  by  the  bullets  and  the  gout,  having  chalk- 
stones  forming  on  his  knuckles,  and  rolling  heavily  in  his  gait. 

I  had  a  letter  from  Frank  Ogden  a  few  days  since.  He  is  quartered  in 
our  old  lodgings  under  the  care  of  the  gentle  Mrs.  Kay,  now  a  little  more 
advanced  in  life,  and  a  demure  widow.  She  has  tucked  him  into  the  French 
bed  which  she  says  Mr.  Peter  Irving  used  to  think  the  most  comfortable 
in  the  world ;  though  Frank  finds  it  rather  short  for  his  long  legs.  He 
has  Mr.  Peter's  easy  chair  also,  and  keeps  Mr.  Washington's  room  and 
-bed  for  the  accommodation  of  a  friend.  He  says  he  shall  always  have  a 
bed  and  plate  and  knife  and  fork  for  you  and  myself  when  we  choose  to 
come  to  Liverpool.  Mrs.  Kay  speaks  of  you  with  kind  remembrance  as 
one  of  the  nicest  men  she  ever  knew ;  and  includes  me  also  in  her  grateful 
eulogies.  Your  affectionate  brother, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

In  the  following  letter  we  find  the  author  undertaking 
to  make  a  bargain  in  America  for  Moore's  "  Life  of  By 
ron,"  and  Godwin's  "  Cloudesley."  For  the  English 
copyright  of  the  Life,  Moore  was  to  receive  from  Mur 
ray  4,000  guineas,  and  he  intimates  in  his  diary  that  he 
should  be  satisfied  if  he  got  from  America  £300.  It  will 
be  perceived  hereafter  that  his  wishes  were  gratified. 


i76  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

[To  Ebenezer  Irving.] 

LONDON,  November  6, 1829. 
MY  DEAE  BROTHER  : — 

Either  by  the  present  or  the  ensuing  packet  ship,  you  will  receive  a 
parcel  of  manuscript,  being  the  first  part  of  "  The  Life  of  Byron,"  by 
Thomas  Moore,  the  poet.  I  wish  you  to  act  in  respect  to  this  work,  as 
you  would  if  it  were  my  own ;  that  is  to  say,  make  the  best  bargain  you 
can  with  some  principal  bookseller  for  the  purchase  of  it.  Moore  is  my 
particular  friend ;  our  friendship  is  of  several  years'  standing,  and  has  ever 
been  of  the  most  unreserved  and  cordial  kind.  I  am  deeply  interested  in 
his  welfare,  and  for  the  ease  and  comfort  of  his  amiable  family;  and  it 
will  be  very  important  for  him  just  now  to  make  something  additional 
from  the  American  publication  of  his  work.  The  work  will  be  published 
in  London  in  two  quarto  volumes,  but  I  presume  may  be  published  in 
America  in  two  octavos.  It  will  be  extremely  interesting,  and  cannot 
fail  to  have  a  great  sale.  As  you  will  be  enabled  to  give  a  bookseller  a 
decided  start  so  as  to  distance  all  competition,  if  not  virtually  to  secure  a 
copyright,  you  ought  to  receive  a  very  large  sum  for  the  work.  The  bar 
gain,  however,  must  be  struck  quickly,  and  the  work  put  to  press  without 
delay.  Should  there  be  any  demur  or  slowness  to  make  a  bargain  on  the 
part  of  the  publishers,  you  may  tell  them  you  are  instructed  in  such 
case  to  print  and  publish  the  work  at  my  expense  and  risk  for  the  benefit 
of  the  author.  I  cannot  think,  however,  but  that  there  will  be  an  eager 
ness  to  secure  a  work  which,  it  is  expected,  will  make  more  noise  and 
have  a  wider  circulation  than  any  work  that  has  appeared  for  some  time 
past. 

There  must  be  one  or  two  provisos  made,  namely,  that  the  MSS.  or 
printed  sheets  of  the  work  be  not  shown  about,  and  that  no  scraps  be  per 
mitted  to  appear  beforehand  in  the  public  papers ;  and  that  the  publica 
tion  of  the  work  shall  not  take  place  until  authorized  by  Mr.  Moore  him 
self,  who  will  state  by  letter  the  day  when  it  may  be  given  to  the  public. 
Should  anything  prevent  your  attention  to  this  matter,  I  wish  you  toplacs 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVINQ.  177 

it  in  the  hands  of  Brevoort,  or,  if  he  be  absent,  of  some  other  person  in 
whom  you  can  have  full  confidence.  I  am  extremely  anxious  that  some 
thing  very  handsome  should  be  procured  for  this  work ;  therefore  do  not 
hesitate  to  ask  a  round  sum. 

In  a  few  days  I  shall  likewise  have  another  commission  of  the  kind  for 
you  to  execute.  You  will  receive  a  manuscript  copy  of  the  first  volume 
of  a  novel  by  Mr.  Godwin  (author of  "Caleb  Williams," etc.).  The  novel 
will  be  in  three  volumes.  The  two  last  volumes  will  be  sent  in  sheets  as 
printed.  I  have  likewise  promised  Mr.  Godwin  (who  is  in  very  limited  cir 
cumstances)  to  procure  for  him  as  much  as  possible  from  some  American 
bookseller  for  his  work.  The  bargain  must  be  made  promptly,  and  the 
work  put  to  press,  to  secure  the  advantage  of  this  early  copy.  As  Mr. 
Godwin  has  great  celebrity,  and  as  his  work  must  form  a  contrast  to  the 
general  run  of  novels  of  the  day,  1  should  think  it  would  command  a 
ready  and  extensive  sale.  A  publisher,  therefore,  ought  to  pay  you  a 
very  handsome  sum  for  thus  effectually  securing  him  the  sole  publication 
of  the  work. 

It  appears  by  his  brother's  reply,  that  Messrs.  Carey, 
Lea  &  Carey,  first  made  an  offer  to  him  of  $750  for  the 
Life,  which  they  afterwards  increased  to  $1,000.  James 
and  John  Harper  offered  $850  at  first,  but  concluded  a 
contract  at  $1,500  ;  a  sum  which  came  very  opportunely 
to  Moore  to  pay  for  some  repairs  on  Sloperton  Cottage. 
Both  publishers  were  loth  to  take  hold  of  "  Cloudesley." 
The  Harpers  promised  to  look  over  the  manuscript,  and  if 
it  met  their  approval,  said  they  might  give  $100  ;  but  on  re 
ceiving  it  they  returned  it,  and  declined  offering  anything. 

I  give  two  characteristic  letters  of  Moore,  which  I  find 
among  Mr.  Irving's  papers,  connected  with  the  success 
ful  result  of  this  negotiation. 
VOL.  n.— 13 


178  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

SLOPERTON  COTTAGE,  January  31,  1831. 

MY  DEAE  IRVING  : — 

I  don't  like  to  bother  a  great  diplomat  such  as  you  are,  about  matters 
of  the  shop — particularly  as  you  won't  come  and  be  bothered  here  where 
I  could  have  my  wicked  will  of  you — but  time  flies,  and  the  golden 
moment  (or  rather  silver  one)  for  the  arrival  of  my  dollars  from  America 
ought  to  be  here.  Do,  like  a  good  fellow,  poke  them  up  a  little  about  it, 
as,  if  the  cash  doesn't  come,  I  must — go. 

I  would  (but  for  the  same  dislike  of  pestering,  etc.)  have  asked  you  to 
send  out  my  sheets  of  "  Lord  Edward  "  for  me — but  sufficient  to  the  day 
are  the  dollars  thereof,  and  if  you  but  get  me  these  three  hundred  and 
thirty-three  pounds  sterling  out  of  the  fire,  I  shall  give  you  a  dinner  when 
I  come  next  to  town,  at  the  Literary  Union,  and  have  Tom  Campbell 
(who  is  now  my  particular  friend)  to  meet  you.  He  has  indeed  written 
me  a  letter  which  does  him  the  highest  honor,  and  shows  him  to  be  a 
sound  fellow  at  bottom,  whatever  he  may  be  at  top.  Seriously,  nothing 
could  be  more  manly  and  warm-hearted  than  the  abandon  with  which  he 
has  again  thrown  himself  upon  my  friendship  and  forgiveness. 

God  bless  you,  my  dear  Washington.  Mrs.  Moore,  who  pines  for  you, 
sends  her  best  regards  with  those  of, 

Ever  yours, 

THOMAS  MOOBE. 

March  11, 1831. 

MY  DEAR  IRVING  :— 

You  are  the  very  man  for  my  money.  A  thousand  thanks  for  all  the 
trouble  you  have  taken,  and  you  shall  reap  the  usual  reward  by  having 
more  inflicted  upon  you,  as  I  mean  to  avail  myself  of  your  kind  services 
in  the  same  way  about  my  "Lord  Edward."  It  grieved  me  not  to  see 
you  while  I  was  in  town  ;  though  for  neither  seeing,  hearing,  or  smelling 
had  I  a  single  sense  left  from  a  most  outrageous  cold  caught  on  my  way 
from  Ireland.  I  stayed  but  three  days  in  town,  and  made  one  effort  to 
reach  you,  but  fruitlessly. 

As  to  my  precious  bill,  I  must  beg  you  to  pay  it  into  the  hands  of  my 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  179 

partners  in  the  Row,  and,  I  would  say,  the  thirteen  pounds  too,  but  that 
Bessy  has  put  in  a  claim  for  that  fraction  for  herself  ;  but  then  how  to 
get  hold  of  it— couldn't  you  just  run  down  with  it  to  her  some  fine  morn 
ing  ?  it  would  be  a  galanterie  worthy  of  you. 

Ever  yours, 

T.  MOORE. 

The  following  extract,  with  some  report  of  his  old 
cronies,  is  from  a  letter  to  his  brother  Peter,  dated  De 
cember  7,  written  just  after  he  had  returned  from  a  visit 
of  three  or  four  days  to  his  sister's  at  Birmingham,  with 
an  account  of  which  the  first  part  is  occupied. 

Newton  is  quite  the  fashion  ;  everything  he  paints,  his  very  sketches 
^,nd  studies,  are  eagerly  bought  up.  Leslie  is  working  assiduously  at  his 
great  picture,  Falstaff  and  his  companion  banqueting  at  Master  Shal 
low's.  It  will  be  his  greatest  work  as  to  study  and  execution.  His 
picture  of  Uncle  Toby  looking  into  Widow  "Wadman's  eye  (which  is  a 
capital  hit),  is  half  done,  and  put  by  until  the  large  picture  is  completed. 

Little  West,  the  painter,  is  at  the  country-seat  of  Francis  Baring,  or 
at  some  seat  in  the  neighborhood  ;  being  fully  employed  in  painting  up 
the  whole  country.  He  has  been  in  town  but  once  in  two  or  three  days 
since  I  have  been  here,  when  we  had  a  merry  dinner,  he,  Newton,  and 
myself,  at  Mills'  lodgings.  I  expect  him  shortly  in  town,  to  remain. 

Father  Luke  is  in  Ireland,  where  he  has  been  very  successful.  He  has 
long  had  a  hankering  to  return  to  London,  and  wrote  to  Newton  a  few 
days  since,  mentioning  that  the  tidings  of  my  residence  here  had  deter 
mined  him — having  a  grateful  recollection  of  the  strong  green  tea  he 
used  to  drink  at  our  lodgings.  He  has  authorized  Newton,  therefore,  to 
look  out  for  lodgings  for  him. 

I  find  the  following  entry  in  Mr.  Irving's  diary,  now 
about  to  be  laid  aside : — 


180  LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING. 

November  23d. — Dined  at  Sir  Robert  Inglis'— present  Sir  James  Mack 
intosh  and  daughter,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilberforce  and  daughter,  Mr.  Millei 
•^•Sir  James  Mackintosh  proposed  to  me  to  join  him,  Sir  Walter  Scott, 
and  Moore  in  their  historical  project. 

At  the  close  of  this  year,  Mr.  Irving  was  bending  his 
thoughts  to  a  life  of  Washington,  and  vainly  flattering 
himself  that  he  would  begin  upon  it  at  once,  as  we  gather 
from  this  intimation  in  a  letter  to  his  brother  Peter, 
dated  December  18,  written  soon  after  some  overtures 
from  Dr.  Lardner  for  a  history  of  the  United  States,  to 
which  at  first  he  was  inclined  to  listen. 

I  have  abandoned  the  idea  of  the  "History  of  the  United  States,"  but 
have  determined  immediately  to  undertake  a  work  in  lieu  of  it,  which 
will  be  more  universally  popular  ;  and  which,  if  tolerably  executed,  must 
be  a  valuable  and  lasting  property.  I  mean  a  life  of  Washington.  I  shall 
take  my  own  time  to  execute  it,  and  will  spare  no  pains.  It  must  be  my 
great  and  crowning  labor. 

Tears,  however,  were  to  elapse  before  this  final  labor 
of  his  pen  was  even  commenced. 


CHAPTEB   XIV. 


LETTER  TO  GOUVERNEUR  KEMBLE. — AWAKD  OF  A  GOLD  MEDAL  BY  THE  ROYAI 
SOCIETY  OF  LITERATURE. — THE  OXFORD  HONOR. — SKETCH  OF  WILLIAM  IV. 
— LETTER  TO  PETER  IRVING. — ARTICLE  IN  THE  "LONDON  QUARTERLY."— 
LETTEK  TO  LOUIS  MCLANE  FROM  PARIS  AFTER  THE  ELEVATION  OF  LOUIS 
PHILIPPE. — EXTRACT  FROM  A  LETTER  TO  THE  SAME. — TALLEYRAND. — LITER 
ARY  CONCERNS. — BREVOORT. — DOLGOROUKI. — PETER  POWELL. — JOHN  RAN 
DOLPH. — THE  "VOYAGES  OF  THE  COMPANIONS  OF  COLUMBUS"  IN  THE 

PRESS. —NEWTON. — LESLIE.  —  KENNEY. — PAYNE.  —  RECEIVES  NOTES  FROM 
MURRAY  FOR    THE    "  VOYAGES." 


OPEN  this  chapter  with  a  letter  of  Mr.  Irving 
to  his  early  friend,  Gouverneur  Kemble,  who 
was  now  occupying  his  bachelor  home  in  the 
noble  solitude  of  the  highlands  of  the  Hudson.  It  was 
situated  nearly  opposite  West  Point,  and  a  few  miles 
^orth  of  the  old  colonial  seat  of  Captain  Philipse,  that 
favorite  haunt  of  Irving,  Brevoort,  Kemble,  and  Paulding, 
in  days  long  gone  by.  Kemble  was  now  the  proprietor 
of  an  extensive  foundry,  from  which  he  occasionally  sup 
plied  the  government  with  cannon,  and  to  "  the  forges  and 
fires"  of  which  the  letter  alludes : — 

LONDON,  January  18,  1830. 
MY  DEAR  KEMBLE  : — 

I  am  most  heartily  obliged  to  you  for  your  letter,  which  smacks  so 
much  of  old  times  and  early  fellowship  ;  and  I  take  it  the  more  kindly  of 

181 


182  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

you,  because  I  believe  I  was  in  your  debt  for  one  or  two  previous  letters 
which  from  the  hurry  of  various  affairs  I  had  suffered  to  remain  unan 
swered.  I  had  hoped  and  designed  to  have  been  by  this  time  once  more 
among  you  all  in  New  York,  and  had  trusted  to  find  in  you  a  boon  com  - 
panion,  to  keep  me  in  company  and  countenance  in  my  old  bachelorhood, 
and  to  have  philosophized  good  humoredly  with  me  on  all  we  had  seen 
and  experienced.  This  diplomatic  appointment,  however,  has  toppled 
down  all  my  air  castles,  and  has  fixed  me  for  a  time  amidst  the  smoke  and 
fog  of  London.  I  have  a  most  craving  desire  to  visit  old  friends  and  old 
scenes  ;  and  there  is  no  place  I  should  feel  greater  delight  in  beholding 
than  our  ancient  nest  in  the  highlands.  The  poor  captain  is  gone  !  and  I 
should  miss  him  sadly,  but  I  have  an  idea  that  I  should  relish  your  strong 
hold  of  Cold  Spring  hugely.  I  cannot  act  up  to  your  advice  in  keeping 
myself  thin,  to  mount  your  hill  without  blowing  ;  I  have  a  villainous  pro 
pensity  to  grow  round  and  robustious,  and  I  fear  the  beef  and  pudding  of 
England  will  complete  the  ruin  of  my  figure 

Why  cannot  you  leave  your  forges  and  fires  in  the  highlands  for  a 
season,  and  take  a  lounge  for  a  few  months  in  London  ?  The  crossing 
of  the  ocean  at  present  is  nothing  ;  and  you  might  be  back  before  your 
fires  had  gone  out  or  your  irons  grown  cold  ;  and  return  too  with  a 
whole  budget  of  materials  for  after  thought  and  after  talk.  By  all  ac 
counts  you  must  have  made  money  enough  to  be  able  to  take  the  world 
as  you  please  ;  and  having  neither  wife  nor  child  to  anchor  you  at 
home,  I  do  not  see  why  you  should  not  now  and  then  take  a  cruise. 
Think  of  this.  I  should  be  delighted  to  meet  you  in  London,  and  you 
and  Peter  and  myself  would  have  some  cozy  hours  together. 

Give  my  affectionate  regards  to  James  Paulding  and  his  wife,  and  to 
such  of  our  old  cronies  as  are  within  hail. 
I  am,  my  dear  Kemble, 

Ever  very  affectionately  your  old  friend, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

On  his  birthday,  the  3d  of  April,  the  author  received 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  183 

verbal  intelligence  that  the  Royal  Society  of  Literature 
had  that  day  voted  him  one  of  their  fifty-guinea  gold 
medals.  "What  makes  this  the  more  gratifying,"  he 
writes  to  Peter  at  Birmingham,  "  is  that  the  other  medal 
is  voted  to  Hallam,  author  of  the  '  Middle  Ages.' " 

Two  days  afterwards,  he  received  the  following  official 
announcement  of  the  intended  honor : — 

ROYAL  SOCIETY  OF  LITERATURE,  I 

PARLIAMENT  STREET,  April  5, 1830.  ) 

SIR  : — I  have  the  honor  to  acquaint  you  that  at  a  meeting  of  the  Coun 
cil  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Literature,  held  on  Saturday  last,  for  the  pur 
pose  of  awarding  the  two  Royal  Medals  annually  placed  by  his  Majesty  at 
the  Society's  disposal,  to  be  adjudged  to  the  authors  of  literary  works  of 
eminent  merit,  or  of  important  literary  discoveries,  one  of  the  medals  was 
adjudged  to  you. 

You  are  consequently  requested  to  attend  at  the  anniversary  meeting  of 
the  Society,  to  be  held  at  this  place  on  Thursday  the  29th  instant,  at  three 
o'clock,  in  order  to  be  presented  with  the  said  Medal. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Sir, 
Your  most  obedient  humble  servant, 

RICHARD  CATTERMOLE, 

Secretary. 

This  medal  has  a  figure  of  Mercury  on  one  side ;  on 
the  other  the  head  of  George  IV.,  with  the  inscription 
"  Georgius  IV.  Reg :  Soc  :  Litt :  Fundator  et  Patronus  : 
MDCCCXXin."  Round  the  rim  of  the  medal  is  inscribed  : 
" Washington  Irving.  Litt:  Human:  Insigni." 

It  is  a  curious  incident  connected  with  its  history,  that 
after  his  return  to  America,  this  medal  was  once  secretly 


184  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

stolen,  and  as  furtively  restored ;  the  thief,  during  the 
confusion  of  a  fire  in  the  neighborhood,  taking  it  from 
the  safe  of  his  brother's  office,  where  it  was  deposited, 
and  afterward  slyly  opening  the  door  of  that  brother's 
residence  at  night  and  throwing  it  into  the  hall ;  a  com 
punctious  restitution  to  which  the  inscription  no  doubt 
contributed. 

In  less  than  a  month  after  the  presentation  of  the  gold 
medal,  as  if  honors,  like  misfortunes,  should  not  come 
single,  the  modest  author  found  himself  committed  for 
the  degree  of  LL.D.,  which  the  University  of  Oxford  pro 
posed  to  confer  on  him.  "  Overruling  the  ultra-modesty 
of  your  scruples,"  writes  the  Rev.  Arthur  Matthews,  May 
19,  "  I  have  not  hesitated  to  commit  you  with  the  academ 
ical  authorities  of  Oxford,  where  you  will  be  due  on  the 
23d  of  June,  the  day  fixed  for  the  ceremony  of  annual 
commemoration  in  the  theatre,  at  which  it  is  usual  to 
confer  honorary  degrees."  It  was  not  without  great  diffi 
dence  and  reluctance  that  Mr.  Irving  yielded  to  a  compli 
ment  which  so  many  are  found  to  covet.  The  reception 
of  the  proposed  honor,  however,  was  deferred  to  another 
year,  in  consequence  of  the  dangerous  illness  and  im 
pending  death  of  the  king,  which  would  throw  a  gloom 
over  everything,  and  deprive  the  ceremony  of  all  ecldt. 

"  I  have  heard  nothing  further  on  the  subject  of  the 
Oxford  honor,"  he  writes  to  Peter,  June  6,  1831,  when 
the  year  had  nearly  rolled  round,  and  the  appointed 
time  was  approaching,  "and  hope  the  matter  may  be 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  185 

dropped."  It  was  not  dropped,  however,  for  after  seal 
ing  liis  letter,  he  opens  it  again  to  inform  his  brother  in 
a  postscript  that  the  degree  was  unanimously  awarded 
him  ;  that  the  day  of  the  ceremony  was  the  15th  of  June, 
when  he  must  certainly  be  there.  He  accordingly  re 
paired  to  Oxford  at  the  appointed  time,  when  the  pro 
posed  dignity  of  LL.D.  was  conferred.  The  ceremony 
was  somewhat  embarrassing  to  the  modest  recipient  of 
the  honor,  who,  on  advancing  to  receive  the  complimen 
tary  degree,  was  greeted  with  prolonged  acclamations 
from  the  students,  mingled  with  cries  of  "Diedrich 
Knickerbocker,"  "  Ichabod  Crane,"  "  Bip  Van  Win 
kle,"  "  Geoffrey  Crayon,"  "  Columbus,"  "  Sketch  Book," 
"  Bracebridge  Hall,"  etc.  I  have  heard  him  say  that  he 
was  quite  overcome,  though  all  the  time  contending  with 
a  laugh  at  the  vociferous  and  saturnalian  applause.  The 
ceremony  over,  he  hurried  back  to  London  to  take  leave 
of  Mr.  McLane,  who  was  then  on  the  eve  of  returning  to 
America.  Though  by  no  means  insensible  to  this  com 
pliment  to  his  character  and  literary  fame,  he  never  used 
the  title.  In  a  letter  of  November  25,  1851,  to  Donald 
G.  Mitchell,  the  popular  author  of  "  Reveries  of  a  Bache 
lor,"  whose  writings  he  had  enjoyed  "  with  peculiar 
relish,"  and  who  was  proposing  to  dedicate  some  new 
volume  to  him  with  the  title  appended  to  his  name,  he 
writes  in  accepting  what  he  deems  the  "  overflattering " 
compliment :  "  I  would  only  suggest  that  in  your  dedica 
tion  you  would  omit  the  LL.D.,  a  learned  dignity  urged 


186  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

upon  me  very  much  '  against  the  stomach  of  my  sense, 
and  to  which  I  have  never  laid  claim." 

The  following  letter,  addressed  July  27,  to  his  brothei 
Peter,  then  on  a  visit  to  his  sister  at  Birmingham,  after 
the  death  of  George  IV.,  and  before  the  coronation  of  his 
successor,  gives  a  playful  sketch  of  the  new  monarch, 
William  IV. 

.  .  .  .  The  king  keeps  all  London  agog  ;  nothing  but  sights,  and 
parades,  and  reviews.  He  is  determined  that  it  shall  be  merry  o]d  Eng 
land  once  more.  Yesterday  morning  there  was  a  splendid  review  in  St. 
James  Park,  at  which  all  the  world  was  present.  Then  a  royal  breakfast 
at  the  Duke  of  Wellington's,  attended  by  the  dignitaries  of  the  court  and 
several  of  the  foreign  ministers,  Mr.  McLane  among  the  number.  In  the 
afternoon  there  was  held  a  chapter  of  the  order  of  the  Garter,  for  the 
installation  of  the  king  of  Wurtemburg.  Then  a  grand  dinner  at  the 
palace  at  which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McLane  "assisted."  ....  In  the 
evening  there  was  a  brilliant  dress  ball  at  the  Duke  of  Wellington's,  at 
which  I  was  present.  The  king  was  there  in  great  spirits,  notwithstand 
ing  the  busy  day  he  had  been  through.  He  spoke  to  everybody  right  and 
left  in  the  most  affable  manner,  and  I  observe  he  has  an  easy  and  natural 
way  of  wiping  his  nose  with  the  back  of  his  forefinger,  which  I  fancy  is  a 
relic  of  bis  old  middy  habits.  Upon  the  whole,  however,  he  seems  in  a 
most  happy  mood  and  disposed  to  make  every  one  happy  about  him,  and 
if  he  keeps  on  as  he  is  going,  without  getting  too  far  out  of  his  depth,  he 
will  make  the  most  popular  king  that  ever  sat  on  the  English  throne. 

The  following  letter  was  written  just  after  news  of  the 
flight  of  Charles  X.  from  the  French  capital,  and  touches 
briefly  upon  some  literary  arrangements.  The  article  in 
the  "Quarterly,"  for  which  Lockhart,  its  conductor,  sends 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  187 

him  fifty  guineas,  was  a  review  of  the  "  Conquest  of  Gra 
nada,"  published  in  that  periodical  in  May.  It  was  a 
mere  illustrative  and  explanatory  review,  written  by  him 
at  the  special  request  of  Murray,  a  year  after  the  publi 
cation  of  the  work,  to  clear  up  some  misconceptions,  to 
which  the  use  of  that  fictitious  personage,  Fray  Antonio 
Agapida,  had  led,  and  did  not  contain  a  line  commenda 
tory  of  the  work,  though  it  was  afterwards  made  the 
foundation  of  an  ignoble  charge  against  him,  that  he  was 
not  above  puffing  his  own  works.  He  had  not  asked  or 
expected  any  compensation  for  it.  Some  of  the  observa 
tions  in  this  article  were  afterwards  embodied  by  him  in 
a  "  Note  to  the  Revised  Edition  of  the  Chronicles,"  pub 
lished  at  New  York  by  G.  P.  Putnam,  in  1850.  The 
reader  will  find  the  note  at  the  end  of  the  Introduction 
to  the  volume. 

[To  Peter  Irving,  Birmingham.'] 

LONDON,  August  3, 1890. 
MY  DEAE  BROTHER  : — 

Henry  and  myself  set  off  this  evening  at  six  o'clock  for  Southampton, 
to  cross  on  the  steamboat  to  Havre.  Mr.  McLane  has  been  kind  enough 
to  permit  me  to  make  out  Henry's  passport  as  attached  to  the  legation ; 
this  will  be  a  peculiar  protection  to  him  in  entering  and  coming  out  of 
Prance.  I  trust,  however,  the  sanguinary  struggle  is  over:  by  the  last 
accounts  all  is  tranquil  at  Paris.  It  has  been  a  brilliant  revolution.  I 
cannot  but  regret  that  I  was  not  at  Paris  at  the  time.  However,  I  shall 
get  there  in  time  to  witness  some  of  the  effects.  The  excitement  and  ex 
ultation  of  the  Parisians,  etc.,  etc. 

I  hope  they  will  make  no  terms  with  the  Bourbons. 


188  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

I  shall  now  expect  to  see  Spain  in  a  complete  combustion. 

.  .  .  .  I  received  a  letter  from  Lockhart  this  morning  from  Scot 
land,  inclosing  me  Murray's  check  on  a  banking  house  in  London  foi 
fifty  guineas,  for  the  article  in  the  "  Quarterly,"  and  hoping  that  I  would 
contribute  further  articles  occasionally. 

Six  days  later  (Aug.  9)  lie  writes  to  Mr.  McLane  from 
Paris : 

I  have  just  returned  from  the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  where  the  Duke  of 
Orleans  has  taken  the  oath,  signed  the  charter,  and  been  hailed  king. 
His  appearance,  manner,  and  language  were  manly,  frank,  and  dignified. 
The  whole  ceremony  was  simple  and  noble,  and  conducted  with  perfect 
good  sense,  and  good  taste.  The  English  papers  will,  of  course,  give  all 
the  details.  Mr.  Rives  was  the  only  member  of  the  diplomatic  corps 
present,  except  a  young  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Cradock,  who  is  at 
tached  to  the  British  embassy.  The  new  king  will  be  called  "Louis 
Philippe."  His  elevation  to  the  throne  appears  to  give  general  satisfac 
tion.  There  is  no  great  show  of  enthusiasm,  for,  in  fact,  the  feelings  of 
the  Parisians  are  a  little  exhausted  by  their  recent  excitement.  There  is, 
however,  what  is  likely  to  wear  much  better  than  enthusiasm,  universal 
cheerfulness  and  rational  content.  People  seem  generally  convinced  that 
they  have  taken  the  most  effectual  measure  to  produce  tranquillity  and  to 
insure  the  perpetuity  of  the  great  political  blessings  they  have  attained. 
All  Paris  is  quiet ;  everything  goes  on  as  usual,  and  you  would  scarcely 
credit  your  senses  that  this  capital  a  few  days  since  was  a  scene  of  civil 
war,  and  at  the  mercy  of  the  rabble. 

McC is  here,  under  the  military  title  of  colonel.  He  witnessed 

some  of  the  scenes  of  the  revolution  from  his  window,  with  pen  in 
hand,  writing  reams  of  letters  to  his  friends  in  America.  He  is  hotter  in 
the  head  than  ever,  and  seems  to  think  a  revolution  one  of  the  simplest 
and  safest  remedies  possible  for  any  political  malady.  He  thinks  he 
knows  exactly  how  to  administer  the  dose  and  superintend  its  operatioa 


OF  WASHINGTON  IKYING  189 

C is  here,  and  they  have  consultations  together.    God  help  the 

inflammable  South  ! 

After  Mr.  Irving's  return  to  London,  Mr.  McLane  took 
a  little  holiday  to  visit  the  curiosities  at  Paris,  during 
which  interval  his  Secretary  of  Legation  addressed  him 
a  letter  (dated  September  17),  of  which  I  give  the  follow 
ing  extracts : — 

.  .  .  .  Before  you  receive  this,  you  will  doubtless  have  read  in  the 
newspapers  the  shocking  accident  that  has  befallen  Mr.  Huskisson  at  the 
great  ceremony  of  opening  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester  railroad,  where 
he  was  run  over  by  one  of  the  steam  carriages,  and  one  of  his  thighs  and 
legs  crushed  and  lacerated  in  so  dreadful  a  manner  as  to  render  it  impos 
sible  at  the  time  to  perform  an  amputation.  His  life  is  despaired  of,  and 
it  is  very  probable  we  shall  this  evening  hear  of  his  death. 

It  is  said  that  the  Duke  of  Wellington  but  very  recently  made  overtures 
to  Palmerston,  the  two  Grants,  and  Melbourne,  to  receive  them  into  the 
cabinet,  but  that  they  refused  unless  Huskisson  should  be  admitted.  It 
is  added,  that  after  much  demur  and  consideration  the  duke  intimated 
that  even  this  point  might  be  accommodated.  If  such  should  really  be 
the  case,  the  melancholy  accident  in  question  has  effectually  removed  a 
great  obstacle  to  an  important  change  in  the  cabinet.  At  any  rate  it  has 
relieved  the  present  cabinet  from  a  formidable  opponent,  who,  if  not 
propitiated,  would  have  made  himself  felt  in  the  coming  session.  It  is  a 
heavy  loss,  however,  to  the  country. 

Talleyrand's  appointment  *  seems  to  be  but  little  relished  in  this  coun 
try,  and  indeed  it  is  an  unworthy  one.  The  new  government  should 
have  shown  some  regard  to  morals  as  well  as  talents  in  such  a  conspicu 
ous  appointment.  And,  in  fact,  the  talents  of  Talleyrand  are  not  of  the 
kind  suited  to  the  day  and  the  crisis.  The  policy  is  of  the  dissolute, 

*  Talleyrand  was  appointed  minister  to  England. 


190  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

heartless  kind  of  the  old  school  ;  the  trickery  and  intrigue  of  cabinet* 
and  saloons ;  not  the  policy  suited  to  a  free  country  and  a  frank  and  pop 
ular  government.  I  question  the  greatness  of  any  political  talent  that  is 
not  based  upon  integrity. 

As  to  Talleyrand,  he  cares  for  nobody  and  nothing.  His  patriotism  is 
a  mere  local  attachment,  like  that  of  a  cat  which  sticks  by  the  house,  let 
who  will  inhabit  it. 

On  Mr.  McLane's  return  to  London,  the  Secretary 
took  a  diplomatic  furlough  which  he  passed  in  the  family 
group  at  Birmingham,  suspending  the  printing  of  "  The 
Voyages  of  the  Companions  of  Columbus,"  then  in  prog 
ress,  and  taking  down  with  him  some  manuscripts  upon 
which  He  hoped  to  get  to  work. 

In  a  letter  to  Peter,  dated  October  22,  he  makes  allu 
sion  to  Brevoort,  then  on  a  visit  to  Europe,  and  Dolgo- 
rouki,  and  gives  us  likewise  a  glimpse  of  John  Randolph, 
and  Peter  Powell.  "  Peter  Powell  has  come  back  from 
Italy,"  said  Wilkie  to  him,  "  and  we  shall  now  have  him 
serving  up  to  us  the  Last  Judgment  of  Michael  Angelo." 
In  the  view  of  the  painter,  there  was  no  grotesque  per 
version  to  which  his  daring  mimicry  was  not  equal. 

I  received  last  evening  your  letter  dated  Sunday,  17th,  which,  though 
you  set  out  by  saying  you  had  nothing  of  any  interest  to  say,  proved  one 
of  the  most  pleasing  and  satisfactory  that  I  have  received  from  you  for  a 
long  time,  for  it  showed  me  that  you  were  enjoying  a  cheerfulness  of 
spirit  and  golden  serenity  of  mind,  worth  all  the  world's  wealth  and  glory, 
and  quite  above  it  all.  Your  dreamy  morning  in  the  Louvre  and  Tui- 
leries  was  quite  in  character.  I  hope  and  trust,  my  dear  brother,  you 
will  be  spared  to  enjoy  many,  many  such,  and  that  the  rest  of  your  life 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  191 

will  be  passed  in  an  easy  literary  leisure  among  those  scenes  that  are  most 
to  your  taste  and  fancy. 

I  have  been  profiting  also  by  the  late  fine  weather  to  make  a  few  ram 
bles  about  the  metropolis  and  its  vicinity,  with  Brevoort  and  Dolgorouki. 
Yesterday,  which  was  such  a  delicious  autumnal  day  as  is  rarely  seen  in 
England,  we  went  down  to  the  Gallery  at  Dulwich,  and  afterwards  dined 
at  a  country  inn  ;  returning  to  town  part  of  the  way  on  foot,  part  per 
coach. 

Peter  Powell  returned  lately  from  his  Italian  tour,  or  rather  sojourn  ; 
as  short  and  merry  as  ever,  and  still  more  learned  in  painting,  intending, 
I  believe,  to  devote  himself  to  landscape  painting,  by  way  of  helping  to 
make  both  ends  meet. 

Randolph  is  here,  and  more  meagre  and  eccentric  than  ever.  He  says 
he  left  St.  Petersburg  on  account  of  ill  health,  the  climate  not  agreeing 
with  him,  and  because  it  was  no  longer  necessary  for  the  object  of  his 
mission  that  he  should  reside  there.  He  gave  me  a  very  minute  account 
of  his  presentation  to  the  emperor  and  empress,  with  each  of  whom  he 
had  long  conversations,  and  I  believe  made  the  empress  laugh  at  least  as 
much  by  the  point  of  his  conversation  as  by  any  peculiarity  of  manner. 
The  story  of  his  kneeling  to  the  emperor  must  have  arisen  from  what  he 
relates  himself  ;  that  in  advancing,  as  one  of  his  legs  is  contracted  and 
somewhat  shorter  than  the  other,  he  limped  with  it  in  such  a  manner 
that  he  supposes  the  emperor  thought  he  was  about  to  bend  one  knee,  as 
he  made  a  movement  as  if  to  prevent  such  a  thing,  and  said  "No,  no." 
Randolph,  however,  is  too  well  informed  on  points  of  etiquette,  and  too 
lofty  a  fellow  to  have  made  such  a  blunder.  I  have  no  doubt,  however, 
that  he  has  left  behind  him  the  character  of  a  rare  bird. 

Randolph,  however  "well  informed  on  points  of  eti 
quette,"  had  his  own  notions  about  doing  things,  and  I 
have  heard  Mr.  Irving  give  an  amusing  account  of  his 
presentation  at  court  in  London,  as  it  came  under  his 
own  notice.  Mr.  McLane  and  Mr.  Irving  called  for  him 


192  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

in  a  carriage,  and  they  found  him  prepared  to  accompany 
them  with  black  coat,  and  black  small  clothes,  with  knee 
buckles,  white  stockings,  and  shoes  with  gold  buckles,  a 
sword,  and  a  little  black  hat.  They  looked  wonderingly 
at  his  dress,  so  likely  with  his  odd  figure  to  attract  ob 
servation.  He  pointed  to  his  gold  buckles.  "  No  sham 
about  them.  Rundell  and  Bridge,  by  — !"  To  some 
observation,  as  to  the  propriety  of  his  dress,  "  I  wear  no 
man's  livery,  by — !"  "But,"  said  Mr.  Irving,  "the  ob 
ject  of  a  court  costume  is  to  avoid  awkwardness  and 
challenge ;  there  is  a  convenience  in  it ;  and  at  all  events 
you  don't  want  a  sword."  "O  now,  Irving,  as  to  a 
sword,  you  need  not  pretend  to  teach  me  about  that ; 
my  father  wore  a  sword  before  me,  by  — !  "  Mr.  Irving 
explained  that  the  sword  belonged  to  a  different  costume, 
but  was  out  of  place  in  that  dress.  This  seemed  to  strike 
Randolph,  and  he  unbuckled  his  sword  afterwards,  and 
left  it  in  the  carriage.  As  he  was  about  to  enter  the 
antechamber,  where  the  foreign  ministers  are  in  waiting, 
he  was,  as  Mr.  Irving  had  feared,  stopped  by  the  usher. 
Mr.  Irving  immediately  explained  who  he  was,  and  he  was 
permitted  to  pass.  "  There  now,  Randolph,"  said  he,  "you 
see  one  of  the  inconveniences  of  being  out  of  costume." 
In  the  antechamber,  the  foreign  ministers  eyed  him  curi 
ously.  Admitted  to  the  presence  chamber,  he  preceded 
Mr.  Irving,  made  his  bow  to  royalty  in  his  turn,  and  then 
passed  before  other  members  of  the  royal  family.  As  he 
went  by  the  Duke  of  Sussex,  the  latter  beckoned  Mr. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVIN&.  193 

Irving ;  "  Irving,"  said  he,  with  his  thumb  reversed  over 
his  right  shoulder,  and  moving  it  significantly  up  and 
down,  half  suppressing  a  laugh  at  the  same  time;  "who's 
your  friend,  Hokey  Pokey  ?  "  Mr.  Irving,  jealous  for  the 
honor  of  his  country,  replied  with  emphasis  :  "  That,  sir, 
is  John  Randolph,  United  States  Minister  at  Russia,  and 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  orators  of  the  United 
States." 

Some  time  afterwards,  Mr.  Irving  was  dining  with  the 
Duke  of  Sussex,  and  he  inquired  after  McLane,  who  had 
returned  to  his  own  country ;  then,  pursuing  his  inquiries, 
he  added  with  a  significant  smile,  "  and  how  is  our  friend 
Hokey  Pokey  ?  " 

"  Randolph,"  said  Mr.  Irving,  in  concluding  these  anec 
dotes,  "  a  long,  gaunt,  thin,  poke  of  a  fellow,  with  no  beard, 
small  features,  bright  eyes,  attracted  attention  wherever 
he  went — he  was  queer,  but  always  wore  the  air  and 
stamp  of  a  gentleman." 

I  asked  what  impression  he  made  by  his  conversational 
powers.  "He  was  remarkable  in  this  respect,"  he  re 
plied  :  "  but  he  was  not  at  home  among  the  London  wits. 
I  dined  with  him  when  Sydney  Smith  and  others  were 
present,  but  he  did  not  shine.  He  was  not  in  his  beat" 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  to  Peter  Irving,  dated 
London,  October  29,  1830,  gives  a  little  insight  into  his 
literary  labors : — 

I  am  jogging  on  with  the  printing  of  the  Voyages.     Murray  has  re 
turned  from  Scotland,  and  expresses  himself  highly  pleased  with  the  part  of 
VOL.  n. — 13 


194  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

the  work  that  is  already  in  print.  I  have  received  the  sketches  from  Spain 
of  the  convent  of  La  Rabida,  Palos,  the  arms  of  the  Pinzons,  etc.,  which 
will  be  engraved  as  illustrations.  The  whole  of  the  edition  of  the  abridg 
ment  of  "  Columbus"  (ten  thousand  copies)  is,  I  am  told,  already  sold.* 

December  3d  lie  writes  to  Peter,  snugly  quartered  "  in 
the  old  Hotel  de  Breteuil,"  at  Paris  : — 

My  literary  concerns  remain  in  statu  quo,  I  have  not  been  able  to 
think  of  them  since  last  I  wrote  you.  As  this  gust  of  diplomacy  is  now 
blown  over  and  the  bustle  of  visiting,  etc.,  incident  to  a  change  of  min 
istry,  I  hope  to  be  able  to  resume  my  pen  a  little  on  my  own  ac 
count 

Our  diplomatic  situation  at  this  court  is  as  favorable  and  gratifying  as 
we  could  desire,  being  treated  with  marked  respect  and  friendliness  by 
the  royal  family,  and  by  the  various  members  of  tht.  administration,  both 
of  the  old  and  new  ministry  ;  and  all  this  appears*  to  be  spontaneous  ;  as, 
while  we  have  fulfilled  all  the  usual  forms  of  mere  civility  and  etiquette, 
we  have  never  courted  any  favor  01-  attention,  out  have  rather  held  our 
selves  in  reserve,  and  let  the  advance  be  made  from  the  other  party. 

I  trust  the  general  effect  of  our  mission  here  will  be  to  place  the  rela 
tions  of  the  two  countries  on  a  more  amiable  footing,  generally,  and  at 
the  same  tifhe  to  establish  freer  intercourse  personally  for  our  diplomacy 
at  this  court,  where  it  was  formerly  received  with  coldness  and  reserve. 
Nothing  can  be  more  easy  and  frank  than  the  manner  with  which  at  pres 
ent  we  are  enabled  to  carry  on  our  business  with  the  ministers  and  at  the 
public  offices.  These  considerations  in  some  measure  reconcile  me  to  the 
interruption  this  diplomatic  episode  has  made  in  my  quiet  literary  life, 
and  console  me  amidst  the  official  bustle,  and  the  distractions  of  court 
pageantry,  and  London  life,  which  after  all  have  no  longer  novelty  oi 
charm  for  me,  and  are  a  grievous  tax  upon  my  spirits. 

*  It  will  be  recollected  he  had  given  the  Abridgment  to  Murray. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  195 

Dolgorouki  has  received  orders  from  his  court,  regularly  attaching  him 
to  the  embassy  here,  with  a  great  augmentation  of  his  appointments.  He 
will  therefore  remain  in  London. 

This  is  very  gratifying  to  me,  as  he  is  a  very  interesting  and  valuable 
companion,  and  I  believe  is  most  sincerely  and  strongly  attached  to  me. 
He  has  taken  up  his  quarters  in  Maddox  Street,  so  that  he  is  close  at 
hand.  I  find  him  a  great  stimulator  to  me  in  literary  matters. 

I  dined  a  few  days  since  with  David  Wilkie,  who  is  getting  on  with  his 
picture  of  John  Knox  preaching.  I  believe  you  have  seen  the  study  for 
it.  It  will,  I  think,  be  his  grandest  production,  and  will  distance  all 
modern  competition  in  his  art.  It  is  admirable  to  see  the  simplicity  of 
the  man,  surrounded  by  the  splendid  productions  of  his  genius 

Newton  has  three  subjects  in  hand  :  One,  Bassanio  reading  the  letter, 
and  his  wife  anxiously  watching  him.  The  subject  is  not  striking,  but 
he  will  make  a  beautiful  picture  of  it,  by  the  effect  of  coloring,  dresses, 
etc.  Another  is,  Lear  reclining  in  a  chair,  with  the  physician  on  one 
side,  and  Cordelia  on  the  other.  The  figure  of  Lear,  as  merely  sketched, 
is  very  grand.  I  think  the  picture  will  be  very  effective.  The  third  is  a 
pretty  little  thing  from  Pope's  "Rape  of  the  Lock" — Belinda  contem 
plating  herself  in  her  toilet  glass.  It  will  have  the  charm  of  Newton's 
grace  and  color. 

Leslie  is  employed  on  a  small  picture  of  Petruchio  in  the  scene  with  the 
tailor,  etc.  I  have  not  seen  it. 

Kenney  has  made  his  appearance  of  late,  more  weazen  than*  ever.  He 
has  a  romantic  drama  in  blank  verse  coming  out  at  Drury  Lane,  founded 
on  a  Spanish  subject,  and  I  believe  taken  originally  from  a  Spanish  play. 
It  has  some  striking  scenes,  but  I  think  the  "situations"  are  produced  by 
rather  extravagant  means.  Still  John  has  a  coarse  palate  and  strong 
stomach,  and  relishes  powerful  dishes. 

Payne  has  also  revisited  the  glimpses  of  the  sun,  and  has  dine'd  with 
me.  He  is  as  fresh  and  fair  as  a  rose,  and  appeared  to  be  in  marvelous 
good  spirits,  notwithstanding  that  he  was  as  usual  Up  to  the  ears  with 
negotiations  for  some  half  a  dozen  pieces  of  various  kinds.  He  left  a 
three  act  comedy  with  me  for  perusal  a  long  time  since,  which  has  really 


196  LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING. 

some  very  good  scenes,  and  is  accepted  at  the  theatre  on  condition  that 
he  will  reduce  it  to  two  acts,  which,  in  fact,  would  be  an  improvement. 
As  I  have  heard  nothing  from  Payne  on  the  subject  for  some  time  past,  I 
apprehend  that  he  has  forgotten  this  one  of  his  multifarious  offspring. 

I  close  the  record  of  this  year  with  the  following  pas 
sage  from  a  letter  to  his  brother  Peter,  who  was  now 
suffering  under  a  return  of  his  headaches,  which  had 
made  him  sensitive  to  all  the  noises  and  interruptions  of 
Paris,  without  being  able  to  enjoy  its  amusements.  He 
had  therefore  retired  to  Havre,  for  "  a  little  quiet  life,  un 
der  the  wing  of  the  worthy  Tom  Tug,"  as  Washington  was 
fond  of  styling  Peter's  true  and  kind-hearted  friend,  the 
American  Consul  Beasley.  "Give  Tom  Tug  a  hearty 
embrace  for  me,"  is  one  of  his  affectionate  messages  to 
Peter. 

The  letter  from  which  the  extract  is  taken,  is  dated 
December  21,  1830.  The  volume  is  the  "  Voyages  of  the 
Companions  of  Columbus;"  a  work  to  which  he  had 
been  prompted  by  Peter. 

A  few  da*ys  since  I  sent  the  last  page  of  the  volume  of  Voyages  to  the 
printer,  and  have  since  received  three  notes  of  hand  from  Murray,  dated 
December  17,  at  six,  nine,  and  twelve  months,  for  £175,  making  five  hun 
dred  guineas,  or  £525.  I  have  indorsed  them  over  and  remitted  them  to 
H.  Van  Wart,  with  orders  to  pass  them  to  your  credit.  They  will  form 
a  fund,  therefore,  which  you  can  draw  against  whenever  you  please. 


CHAPTEB  XV. 

*>AULDING.— SLIDELL'S  "TEAK  IN  SPAIN,"  AND  THE  REVIEW  IN  THE  "LONDON 
QUARTERLY. " — BARGAIN  WITH  CAREY  &  LEA  FOR  THE  "  VOYAGES  OF  CO 
LUMBUS." —  LETTER  TO  BREVOORT.  — A  CHANGE  IN  THE  EMBASSY.  —  THE 
AUTHOR  CHARGE.— LETTER  TO  LOUIS  McLANE.— ARRIVAL  OF  MR.  VAN  BUREN, 
THE  NEW  MINISTER. — LETTER  TO  LOUIS  McLANE.  — RELIEVED  FROM  THE 
LEGATION. — LAST  MEETING  WITH  SIR  WALTER  SCOTT.  —  NEWTON'S  SECOND 
LIKENESS. — LETTER  TO  MRS.  PARIS. — BARLBOROUGH  HALL.  —  HARDWICKE 
CASTLE.— NEWSTEAD  ABBEY.  —  DERANGEMENT  OF  LITERABY  PLANS. —  RE 
FORM  AND  CHOLERA. 

N  February  of  this  year  Mr.  Irving  writes  to  his 
brother  Ebenezer  at  New  York : — 

I  send  a  copy  of  Slidell's  "Year  in  Spain,"  which  I  corrected  for  the 
press,  and  got  Murray  to  publish  in  a  very  creditable  style.  It  will  give 
the  lieutenant  a  complete  launch  in  literature. 

Send  the  copy,  and  also  the  number  of  the  "  Quarterly  Review,"  to  Mr. 
Slidell's  father  with  my  kind  regards. 

The  copy  of  the  "  Quarterly,"  which  he  here  requests 
to  be  sent  to  Mr.  Slidell's  father,  contained  a  review  of 
the  "  Tear  in  Spain,"  which  was  written  by  himself,  and 
no  doubt  helped  the  success  of  the  work  in  England. 

This  review  was  given  gratuitously  to  the  "  Quarterly," 

197 


198  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

and  with  the  explanatory  article  on  the  "Conquest  of 
Granada  "  before  alluded  to,  constituted  his  only  contri 
butions  to  that  periodical,  of  which  he  had  before  writ 
ten,  when  Murray  had  offered  him  100  guineas  an  article : 
"  It  is  so  hostile  to  ou  rcountry  that  I  cannot  bear  to  lift 
rny  pen  in  its  service."  The  "  Review  "  was  most  distin 
guished  for  this  hostility  during  the  editorship  of  William 
Gifford. 

[To  Peter  Irving.] 

LONDON,  March  1,  1831. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

»    .     .     .     I  had  a  letter  from  E.  I.  lately.     He  had  made  a  bargain 
with  Carey  &  Lea  of  Philadelphia  about  the  "Voyages  ; "  they  are  to  give 
fifteen  hundred  dollars  for  the  privilege  of  printing  three  thousand  copies, 
and  he  binds  himself  to  allow  them  three  years  to  sell  off  the  edition, 
though  he  trusts  they  will  sell  it  in  less  than  two.     I  observe  they  adver 
tise  it  to  be  published  in  one  octavo  volume.     I  think  the  arrangement  a 
good  one.    .....    I  believe  1  told  you  Murray's  first  edition  of  the 

abridgment  of  "Columbus,"  of  which  he  printed  ten  thousand  copies,  is 
sold,  and  he  is  putting  another  edition  to  press.  The  "Companions" 
seem  to  be  very  successful,  and  what  is  a  good  sign  are  favorites  with  the 
publisher. 

....  Kenney  has  been  trying  all  the  season  to  get  a  tragedy  per 
formed  at  Drury  Lane,  but  has  been  kept  in  suspense  until  he  is  as  thin  as 
an  apothecary's  spatula.  I  had  a  note  from  him  a  few  days  since,  telling 
me  he  was  to  have  a  few  "vagabonds"  to  dine  with  him  to-morrow,  and 
begging  me  to  give  him  my  company,  as  Macready  was  to  be  there  and 
my  presence  might  be  of  service  to  him  (Kenney).  If  I  feel  well  enough 
I  shall  go. 

To  Brevoort  at  Paris,  he  writes  the  same  date : — 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  199 

We  are  in  the  beginning  of  an  eventful  week.  This  evening  will  deter 
mine  the  fate  of  the  present  cabinet,  which  is  in  a  tottering  condition, 
and  we  are  looking  daily  for  decisive  news  from  Paris.  We  must  have 
tidings  of  moment,  too,  from  Poland,  though  I  fear  we  shall  have  dismal 
news  from  that  quarter.  However,  the  great  cause  of  all  the  world  will 
go  on.  What  a  stirring  moment  it  is  to  live  in.  I  never  took  such  in 
tense  interest  in  newspapers.  It  seems  to  me  as  if  life  were  breaking  out 
anew  with  me,  or  that  I  were  entering  upon  quite  a  new  and  almost  un 
known  career  of  existence,  and  I  rejoice  to  find  my  sensibilities,  which 
were  waning  as  to  many  objects  of  past  interest,  reviving  with  all  their 
freshness  and  vivacity  at  the  scenes  and  prospects  opening  around  me. 
I  trust,  my  dear  Brevoort,  we  shall  both  be  spared  to  see  a  great  part  of 
this  grand  though  terrible  drama  that  is  about  to  be  acted.  There  will 
doubtless  be  scenes  of  horror  and  suffering,  but  what  splendid  triumphs 
must  take  place  over  these  vile  systems  of  falsehood  in  every  relation  of 
human  affairs,  that  have  been  woven  over  the  human  mind,  and  for  so 
long  a  time  have  held  it  down  in  despicable  thraldom. 

June  6,  he  writes  to  his  brother  Peter  at  Birming 
ham: — 

.  .  .  .  Mr.  McLane  has  received  permission  to  return  home,  and 
an  invitation  to  a  seat  in  the  cabinet.  The  former  he  avails  himself  of  im 
mediately,  and  will  sail  from  this  port  either  on  the  22d  inst.,  or  on  the 
1st  July,  most  probably  the  latter.  The  seat  in  the  cabinet  will  be  a 
matter  of  further  consideration.  I  remain  here  as  charge  d'affaires; 
though  it  is  expressly  stated  that  I  remain  on  secretary's  pay.  I  trust, 
however,  another  minister  will  be  appointed  with  as  little  delay  as  possi 
ble,  so  that  I  shall  be  relieved  by  autumn  at  furthest 

The  following  letter  was  addressed  to  Mr.  McLane, 
who  had  arrived  in  the  United  States  from  London,  early 
in  August,  and  now  filled  the  place  of  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  made  vacant  by  the  recent  dissolution  of  Gen- 


200  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

eral  Jackson's  cabinet ;  to  which  the  resignation  of  Mr. 
Van  Buren  in  April,  as  Secretary  of  State,  had  led  the 
way.  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  now  coming  out  to  London,  to 
succeed  Mr.  McLane  as  American  Minister  to  the  Court 
of  St.  James ;  Mr.  Irving  in  the  interim  acting  as  charge. 

[To  Louis  McLane.} 

LONDON,  August  30,  1831. 

MY  DEAR  Sra  : — 

I  was  greatly  gratified  and  obliged  by  your  letter  of  July  31,  and  re 
joiced  to  find  that  you  were  all  once  more  safely  landed  on  our  own 
shores.  I  hope  and  trust  that  everything  will  go  prosperously  with  you, 
and  that  your  situation  at  Washington  will  prove  as  happy  to  yourself  as 
I  am  sure  it  will  be  advantageous  to  the  country.  I  am  sick  to  very 
loathing  of  the  correspondences  with  which  our  papers  have  been  filled  for 
some  time  past,  and  my  only  consolation  is,  that  the  European  papers 
are  so  taken  up  with  their  own  concerns,  and  the  public  mind  here  so 
bewildered  with  reform,  revolution,  and  cholera  morbus,  that  there  is  no 
space  or  leisure  for  comments  upon  our  follies.  Yet  it  is  grievous  to 
think  that  we  should  so  shamefully  use  the  advantages  which  all  the  rest 
of  the  world  are  striving  at  the  cost  of  heart's  blood  to  obtain.  I  look 
forward  for  better  things  from  the  new  cabinet,  and  trust  that  it  will  not 
suffer  private  feuds  and  private  interests  to  take  up  the  time  that  should 
be  devoted  to  the  great  questions  and  concerns  of  the  nation.  Affairs 
are  going  on  here  "as  it  pleases  God,"  that  is  to  say,  very  little  to  the 
satisfaction  of  man.  The  whigs  have  been  so  long  out  of  harness  that 
they  do  not  understand  well  how  to  draw  together,  and  the  great  reform 
omnibus  moves  but  heavily,  and  has  great  difficulty  in  surmounting  the 
impediments  continually  put  in  its  way.  Lord  John  is  almost  knocked 
up  by  the  fatigues  and  perplexities  he  has  undergone  ;  not  understanding 
very  clearly,  it  is  insinuated,  the  nature  of  the  mighty  egg  he  has  been 
employed  to  hatch,  and  being  worn  out  by  being  obliged  to  sit  so  long 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  201 

upon  the  nest.  The  anti-reformers  swear  that  the  egg  is  already  addled, 
and  they  begin  to  crow  with  some  heart  on  the  supposition.  There  is  cer 
tainly  some  misgiving  and  anxiety  among  the  conductors  of  the  measure, 
and  a  very  general  discontent  and  impatience  throughout  the  country. 
Still  I  trust  the  measure  will  ultimately  prevail. 

I  will  deliver  your  message  to  Lord  Holland  when  I  see  him.  He  has 
asked  most  kindly  after  you  whenever  I  have  met  with  him  ;  indeed  you 
have  reason  to  be  highly  gratified  with  the  impression  you  have  left  be 
hind  you  generally.  It  is  exactly  such  a  one  as  a  man  of  honorable  am 
bition  and  kind  feelings  should  covet ;  a  mixture  of  the  highest  esteem 
and  respect  with  the  most  cordial  good- will 

I  trust  the  government  will  perfectly  understand  that  in  declining  to 
continue  here  as  secretary,  I  am  influenced  by  no  feeling  of  petty  pride  or 
mistaken  etiquette.  I  have  no  idea  of  any  derogation  in  returning  from 
a  casual  and  transient  elevation  as  charge  d'affaires  to  the  duties  of  the 
secretaryship,  and  should  have  made  a  point  of  discountenancing  such 
false  punctilio  by  my  example,  did  not  other  considerations,  of  which  you 
are  well  aware,  induce  me  to  desire  for  the  present  a  total  emancipation 
from  official  duties. 

I  am  looking  forward  with  great  pleasure  to  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Van 
Buren,  and  to  my  release  from  London  and  its  harassing  life,  as  soon  as 
I  shall  have  put  him  up  to  the  routine  of  affairs  and  the  usages  of  the 
town.  I  shall  then  turn  my  attention  to  my  own  private  affairs,  and 
make  preparation  for  my  return  to  the  United  States  ;  but  I  begin  to  fear 
I  shall  not  be  able  to  arrange  them  so  as  to  return  before  next  year. 

On  the  20th  of  September,  Mr.  Irving  retired  from  the 
legation,  and  two  days  after  he  informs  his  brother  Eben- 
ezer  that  he  should  set  off  in  a  few  days  with  Peter  for 
Birmingham,  where  he  should  occupy  himself  diligently 
in  preparing  some  writings  for  the  press,  and  that  he 
should  not  be  able  to  return  home  till  next  year. 


202  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

On  the  28th  of  Ssptember,  two  days  before  his  depart" 
tire  for  Birmingham,  Scott  arrived  in  London  on  his  way 
to  Italy,  and  Lockhart,  thinking  he  would  enjoy  the  so 
ciety  of  a  friend,  sent  for  Mr.  Irving  to  dine  with  him. 
It  was  just  after  the  fatigue  of  travel,  and  though  Scott 
rallied  a  little  afterwards,  and  made  a  better  appearance 
in  this  his  final  interview  with  Mr.  Irving,  he  showed 
sadly  the  eclipse  of  his  powers.  It  was  a  family  dinner, 
Lockhart  and  wife  (Anne  Scott),  himself  and  Scott  being 
all.  Scott  was  seated  when  he  entered ;  and  as  he  ap 
proached  him  and  took  him  by  the  hand,  "  Ah !  my  dear 
fellow,"  said  he,  "time  has  dealt  lightly  with  you  since 
last  we  met."  At  dinner,  amid  the  conversation  of  the 
others,  his  mind  would  occasionally  gleam  up,  and  he 
would  strike  in  with  some  story  in  his  old  way  ;  but  the 
light  would  soon  die  out,  and  his  head  would  sink,  and 
his  countenance  fall  as  he  saw  that  he  had  failed  in 
giving  point  to  what  he  was  telling.  The  others  would 
resume,  and  attempt  to  divert  attention  by  talking  of 
matters  in  which  he  might  not  be  disposed  to  join. 
"  How  different,"  said  Mr.  Irving  in  relating  this  mourn 
ful  experience,  "from  the  time  I  last  dined  with  him, 
when  Scott  was  the  life  of  the  company,  all  hanging  on 
his  lips;  everybody  making  way  for  his  anecdote  or 
story."  After  dinner  the  ladies  went  up-stairs,  and 
Lockhart  said  to  his  guest,  "Irving,  give  Scott  your 
arm."  As  the  latter  approached,  and  Scott  took  his  arm, 
while  he  grasped  his  cane  with  the  other  hand,  "Ahf" 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  203 

said  he,  "  the  times  are  changed,  my  good  fellow,  since 
we  went  over  the  Eildon  hills  together.  It  is  all  non 
sense  to  tell  a  man  that  his  mind  is  not  affected,  when 
his  body  is  in  this  state." 

This  was  his  last  meeting  with  Scott,  that  noble  spirit 
in'whom  he  had  so  much  delighted,  and  who,  in  his  esti 
mation,  was  only  second  to  Shakespeare.  Lockhart,  in 
the  memoirs  of  his  life,  errs  in  saying  that  Mr.  Irving 
saw  him  frequently  at  this  time,  for  though  Scott  re 
mained  in  London  for  several  weeks,  Irving  left  the 
second  day  after  this  interview  for  an  absence  of  more 
than  a  month,  which  was  divided  between  Birmingham, 
Sheffield,  and  Barlborough  Hall. 

From  Sheffield,  where  he  was  on  a  visit  to  his  nephew, 
Irving  Yan  Wart,  a  temporary  resident  of  the  place,  he 
addressed  a  letter  to  his  sister,  Mrs.  Paris,  dated  Octo 
ber  14,  from  which  it  will  be  seen  that  Newton  had  em 
barked  for  his  native  country,  carrying  with  him  a  like 
ness  for  which  Mr.  Irving  had  recently  been  sitting,  and 
which  he  pronounces  the  best  that  had  ever  been  taken 
of  him.  "My  friend  Newton,"  is  his  language,  "who 
sailed  from  London  a  few  days  since,  took  with  him  a 
small  portrait  of  me,  for  which  I  had  sat  at  your  request. 
It  is  the  most  accurate  likeness  that  has  ever  been  taken 
of  me."* 


*  This  second  likeness  of  Newton's,  taken  about  nine  years  after  the 
first  for  his  friend  Brevoort,  is  now  the  property  of  his  niece,  Mrs.  Stor- 
row,  a  daughter  of  the  sister  to  whom  it  was  sent. 


204  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

A  fortnight  later,  Mr.  Irving  addressed  to  the  same 
sister  the  following  account  of  some  curious  and  interest 
ing  visits  and  excursions  : — 

BAKLBOROUGH  HALL,  October  28, 1831. 
MY  DEAR   SlSTEE  : — 

.  .  .  .  I  left  Sheffield  about  five  days  since  to  pay  a  long-promised 
visit  to  the  owner  of  this  mansion,  which  is  in  Derbyshire,  about  twelve 
miles  from  Sheffield.  It  is  an  old  hall,  built  in  the  time  of  Queen  Eliza 
beth,  and  the  owner  declares  it  is  the  original  of  Bracebridge  Hall,  for 
which  in  truth  it  might  have  stood  for  a  model.  It  is  in  the  midst  of  a 
beautiful  country,  and  stands  in  the  centre  of  one  of  those  princely  do 
mains  which  render  English  country  gentlemen  little  sovereigns. 

I  am  writing  in  my  bedchamber,  one  of  the  most  delicious  old  panelled 
rooms,  with  stone-shafted  windows,  ancient  portraits,  silk  curtains  of  old- 
fashioned  needlework  by  some  of  the  family  dames  of  the  olden  time. 
Mine  host,  the  Rev.  C.  R  Reaston  Rodes,  is  a  man  of  great  wealth  and 
greater  eccentricity  ;  a  kind  of  wet  parson,  if  I  may  borrow  that  phrase 
from  the  Quakers  ;  as  he  is  a  complete  ton  vivant,  hunts,  shoots,  races, 
and  keeps  a  kind  of  open  house.  His  neighbors  say  that  hospitality  is  his 
greatest  vice.  With  all  this  he  is  an  excellent  scholar,  something  of  a 
poet,  and  a  most  kind,  generous,  and  warm-hearted  man.  He  has  re 
stored  the  old  mansion  in  the  ancient  style  ;  keeps  up  the  old  usages, 
particularly  the  ceremonials  of  Christmas,  and,  notwithstanding  his  ex 
treme  buoyancy  of  spirit  and  bustle  of  existence,  manages  all  his  affairs 
and  conducts  his  whole  establishment  with  admirable  system.  Such  a 
character  and  such  a  mansion,  as  you  may  easily  suppose,  furnish  me 
much  food  for  amusing  speculation. 

My  worthy  host  has  taken  me  all  about  the  neighboring  country  to  see 
the  curious  old  edifices  with  which  it  abounds.  We  were  yesterday  at 
Hardwick  Castle,  an  antiquated  pile  belonging  to  the  Duke  of  Devon 
shire,  but  which  he  never  inhabits  except  on  a  casual  visit  of  a  day  at  a 
time.  The  castle  is  maintained  in  its  old  style,  with  the  ancient  i'urni- 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  205 

ture,  tapestry,  etc.  There  are  state  apartments  which  Queen  Elizabeth 
once  occupied  in  one  of  her  progresses  through  the  kingdom,  and  there 
is  another  apartment  in  which  poor  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  was  once  con 
fined.  The  bed  and  all  the  furniture  remain  as  in  her  time.  There  is  an 
immense  picture  gallery,  with  the  portraits  of  all  the  Cavendishes  and 
their  connections,  and  of  various  of  the  British  monarchs.  This  curious 
old  pile  stands  on  the  brow  of  a  hill  with  a  lordly  park  about  it,  and 
commanding  a  wide  and  beautiful  prospect 

October  3Qth.—  Since  I  wrote  the  above  I  have  made  an  excursion  with 
Mr.  Rodes  to  Newstead  Abbey,  once  the  seat  of  Lord  Byron,  which  is 
about  seventeen  miles  from  this.  It  is  now  in  the  possession  of  a  Colonel 
Wildman,  who  was  once  schoolmate  of  Lord  Byron's  at  Harrow,  and  who 
has  an  enthusiastic  veneration  for  the  bard.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  im 
mense  fortune,  and  is  expending  enormous  sums  in  putting  the  old  abbey 
in  complete  repair.  It  is  a  most  ancient,  curious,  and  beautiful  pile,  of 
great  extent  and  intricacy  ;  and  when  restored  will  be  one  of  the  finest 
specimens  of  the  mingled  conventual  and  baronial  buildings  in  England. 
Everything  relative  to  Lord  Byron  is  preserved  with  the  most  scrupulous 
care.  The  bedroom  he  occupied,  with  all  its  furniture  as  it  stood,  many 
of  his  books,  his  boxing  gloves,  etc.,  etc. 

The  monument  erected  by  him  to  the  memory  of  his  favorite  New 
foundland  dog,  Boatswain,  still  stands  in  the  garden  ;  and  a  descendant 
of  Boatswain,  a  huge  dog  which  had  accompanied  Lord  Byron  to  Greece, 
and  returned  with  his  dead  body  to  England,  now  strolls  about  the 
Abbey,  and  is  a  cherished  favorite  of  Colonel  Wildman.  Our  visit  was  a 
most  interesting  one,  and  was  rendered  still  more  agreeable  by  the  polite 
attentions  of  Colonel  Wildman,  who  accompanied  us  all  over  the  abbey, 
and  explained  everything  to  us.  At  parting,  he  invited  me  to  pass  some 
days  with  him  whenever  I  should  have  an  interval  of  leisure,  and  ex 
pressed  a  wish  to  consult  with  me  about  various  inscriptions  he  proposed 
to  put  up  in  various  parts  of  the  edifice.  I  had  nearly  omitted  one  little 
memento  of  poor  Byron,  that  peculiarly  touched  me.  On  the  bark  of  an 
elm,  in  a  grove  of  the  p.bbey  garden,  are  engraved  the  names  of  himself 
and  his  sister:  "Byron — Augusta."  These  were  cut  by  himself  on  his 


206  LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING. 

last  visit  to  the  abbey,  on  the  day  when  he  sold  and  transferred  it  to  an 
other.  His  sister  was  with  him  at  the  time,  and  they  took  a  melancholy 
farewell  stroll  through  this  grove.  She  since  pointed  out  the  inscription, 
and  mentioned  the  particulars  to  Colonel  Wildman. 

I  am  now  on  the  point  of  taking  leave  of  Barlborough  Hall,  and  of  my 
most  hospitable  host  and  his  charming  wife,  whom  1  ought  to  have  men 
tioned  more  particularly.  I  have  promised,  should  I  be  in  England,  to 
pass  the  Christmas  holidays  with  them. 

London,  November  5th. — I  have  just  time  to  add  a  line  in  conclusion  to 
this  letter.  I  arrived  in  London  about  four  days  since,  where  I  shall 
pass  a  little  time,  and  then  pay  a  visit  or  two  in  different  parts  of  the 
country.  I  am  at  this  time  excessively  busy  in  correcting  and  finishing 
some  of  my  writings,  and  getting  my  literary  matters  in  order,  after  the 
long  interval  of  busy  life  that  has  interrupted  them. 

His  literary  plans,  however,  were  destined  to  further 
derangement.  He  writes  to  Peter  the  next  day  (Novem 
ber  6)  :— 

The  restlessness  and  uncertainty  in  which  I  have  been  kept,  have  dis 
ordered  my  mind  and  feelings  too  much  for  imaginative  writing,  and  I 
now  doubt  whether  I  could  get  the  "  Alhambra  "  ready  in  time  for  Christ 
mas The  present  state  of  things  here  completely  discourages 

all  idea  of  publication  of  any  kind.  There  is  no  knowing  who  among  the 
booksellers  is  safe.  Those  who  have  published  most  are  worst  off, 
for  in  this  time  of  public  excitement  nobody  reads  books  or  buys  them. 
There  is  the  double  risk  of  a  work  falling  dead  from  the  press,  and  of  the 
bookseller  failing  before  the  payment  falls  due.  Those  publishers  who 
are  safe,  are  wary  of  publishing  until  the  present  crisis  is  past,  lest  they 
should  be  only  filling  their  ledgers  with  bad  debts.  You  have  no  idea  of 
the  gloom  that  hangs  over  "  the  trade,"  and  will  continue  to  do  so  until 
reform  and  cholera  have  passed  by. 


CHAPTEE  XVI. 


LETTER  FROM  NEWSTEAD  ABBEY. — JOURNBTINGS  WITH  MR.  VAN  BUREN. — AR 
RANGEMENTS  FOR  THE  PUBLICATION  OF  THE  "ALHAMBRA." — LETTER  FROM 
WILLIAM  C.  BRYANT,  TRANSMITTING  VOLUME  OF  HIS  POEMS  FOR  ENGLISH 
PUBLICATION. — LETTER  FROM  GULIAN  C.  VERPLANCK. — DEDICATORY  EPIS 
TLE  TO  SAMUEL  ROGERS. — REJECTION  OF  MR.  VAN  BUREN  AS  MINISTER. 
— LETTER  TO  PETER  IRVING. — MILLS. — MATTHEWS. — LESLIE.— PETER  POW 
ELL. — BARGAIN  WITH  COLBURN  AND  BENTLEY  FOR  THE  "ALHAMBRA." — EM 
BARKATION. — LANDS  AT  NEW  YORK. — RECEPTION. — PUBLIC  DINNER. — SPEECH. 


HE  following  letter  finds  Mr.  Irving  again  at 
"  the  romantic  old  pile  "  of  Newstead,  where, 
he  tells  his  brother  Peter,  he  is  lodged  in  Lord 

Byron's  room  and  bed,  and  only  vexed  "  that  he  cannot 

catch  some  inspiration  from  the  place." 

[To  Mrs.  Paris.] 

NEWSTEAD  ABBEY,  January  20, 1832. 
MY  DEAR  SISTER  :•.- 

Upwards  of  a  month  since  I  left  London  with  Mr.  Van  Buren  and  his 
son,  on  a  tour  to  show  them  some  interesting  places  in  the  interior,  and 
to  give  them  an  idea  of  English  country  life,  and  the  festivities  of  an  old- 
fashioned  English  Christinas.  We  posted  in  an  open  carriage,  as  the 
weather  was  uncommonly  mild  and  beautiful  for  the  season.  Our  first 
stopping  place  was  Oxford,  to  visit  the  noble  collegiate  buildings  ;  and 

207 


208  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

thence  we  went  to  Blenheim,  and  visited  the  seat  of  the  Duke  of  Marl- 
borough,  one  of  the  finest  palaces  in  England.  We  next  passed  a  night 
and  part  of  the  next  day  at  Stratford-on-Avon,  visiting  the  house  where 
Shakespeare  was  born  and  the  church  where  he  lies  buried.  We  were 
quartered  at  the  little  inn  of  the  Eed  Horse,  where  I  found  the  same 
obliging  little  landlady  that  kept  it  at  the  time  of  the  visit  recorded  in 
the  "Sketch  Book."  You  cannot  imagine  what  a  fuss  the  little  woman 
made  when  she  found  out  who  I  was.  She  showed  me  the  room  I  had 
occupied,  in  which  she  had  hung  up  my  engraved  likeness,  and  she 
produced  a  poker  which  was  locked  up  in  the  archives  of  her  house,  on 
which  she  had  caused  to  be  engraved  "Geoffrey  Crayon's  Sceptre." 
From  Stratford  we  went  to  Warwick  Castle,  Kenilworth,  and  then  to 
Birmingham,  where  we  passed  a  part  of  three  days,  dining  at  Van  Wart's  ; 
continuing  our  tour  we  visited  Litchfield  and  its  beautiful  cathedral, 
Derby,  Nottingham,  Newstead  Abbey,  Hardwick  Castle,  etc.,  etc.,  and 
finally  arrived  on  Christmas  eve  at  Barlborough  Hall,  where  we  had  en 
gaged  to  remain  during  the  holidays.  Here,  then,  we  passed  a  fortnight, 
during  which  the  old  hall  was  a  complete  scene  of  old  English  hospitality. 
Many  of  the  ancient  games  and  customs,  obsolete  in  other  parts  of  Eng 
land,  are  still  maintained  in  that  part  of  the  country,  and  are  encouraged 
by  Mr.  Rodes.  We  accordingly  had  mummers,  and  morris  dancers,  and 
glee  singers  from  the  neighboring  villages  ;  and  great  feasting,  with  the 
boar's  head  crowned  with  holly;  the  wassail  bowl,  the  yule  clog,  snap 
dragon,  etc.,  etc.  There  was  dancing  by  night  in  the  grand  tapestried 
apartments,  and  dancing  in  the  servants'  hall,  and  all  kinds  of  merriment. 
The  whole  was  to  have  wound  up  by  a  grand  fancy  ball  on  Twelfth 
Night,  to  which  all  the  gentry  of  the  neighborhood  were  invited,  when 
Mr.  Rodes  received  news  of  the  death  of  a  relative,  which  put  an  end  to 
the  festivities. 

....  After  leaving  the  hospitable  mansion  of  Mr.  Rodes  we  came 
to  Newstead  Abbey,  on  an  invitation  from  Col.  Wildman,  the  present 
proprietor.  Mr.  Van  Buren  and  his  son  remained  but  a  couple  of  days, 
but  I  was  easily  prevailed  upon  to  prolong  my  visit,  and  have  now  been 
here  about  a  fortnight ;  and  never  has  time  passed  away  more  delight- 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  209 

fully.  I  have  found  Col.  Wildman  a  most  estimable  man,  warm 
hearted,  generous,  and  amiable,  and  his  wife  charming  both  in  character 
and  person.  The  abbey  I  have  already  mentioned  to  you  in  a  former  let 
ter  as  being  the  ancestral  mansion  of  Lord  Byron,  and  mentioned  fre 
quently  in  his  writings.  I  occupy  his  room,  and  the  very  bed  in  which 
he  slept.  The  edifice  is  a  fine  mixture  of  the  convent  and  the  palace, 
being  an  ancient  abbey  of  friars  granted  by  Henry  VIII.  to  the  Byron 
family.  At  one  end  is  the  ruin  of  the  abbey  church  ;  the  Gothic  front 
still  standing  in  fine  preservation  and  overrun  with  ivy.  My  room  im 
mediately  adjoins  it,  and  hard  by  is  a  dark  grove  filled  with  rooks,  who 
are  continually  wheeling  and  cawing  about  the  building.  What  was 
once  the  interior  of  the  church  is  now  a  grassy  lawn  with  gravel  walks, 
and  where  the  high  altar  stood  is  the  monument  erected  by  Lord  Byron 
to  his  dog,  in  which  he  intended  his  own  body  should  be  deposited.  The 
interior  of  the  abbey  is  a  complete  labyrinth.  There  are  the  old  monkish 
cloisters,  dim  and  damp,  surrounding  a  square,  in  the  centre  of  which  is 
a  grotesque  Gothic  fountain.  Then  there  are  long  corridors  hung  with 
portraits,  and  set  out  with  figures  in  armor,  that  look  like  spectres.  There 
are  ancient  state  apartments  that  have  been  occupied  by  some  of  tue 
British  sovereigns  in  their  progresses,  and  which  still  bear  their  names. 
These  have  been  restored  by  Col.  Wildman,  with  great  taste,  and  are 
hung  with  ancient  tapestry,  and  quaintly  furnished.  There  are  large 
halls,  also,  some  splendidly  restored,  others  undergoing  repairs;  with  long 
vaulted  chambers  that  have  served  for  refectories  and  dormitories  to  the 
monks  in  old  times.  Behind  the  edifice  is  the  ancient  abbey  garden,  with 
great  terraced  walks,  balustrades,  fish  ponds,  formal  flower  plots,  etc., 
all  kept  up  in  admirable  style,  and  suiting  the  venerable  appearance  of 
the  building.  You  may  easily  imagine  the  charms  of  such  a  residence 
connected  with  the  poetical  associations  with  the  memory  of  Lord  Byron. 
The  solemn  and  monastic  look  of  many  parts  of  the  edifice,  also,  has  a 
most  mysterious  and  romantic  effect,  and  has  given  rise  to  many  super 
stitious  fables  among  the  servants  and  the  neighboring  peasantry.  They 
have  a  story  of  a  friar  in  black  who  haunts  the  cloisters,  and  is  said  to 
have  been  seen  by  Lord  Byron,  He  certainly  alludes  to  him  in  his 
VOL.  n. — 14 


210  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

poems.  Then  there  is  a  female  in  white,  who  appeared  in  the  bedroom 
of  a  young  lady,  a  cousin  of  Lord  Byron,  coming  through  the  wall  on 
one  side  of  the  room,  and  going  into  the  wall  on  the  other  side.  Besides 
these  there  is  "  Sir  John  Byron,  the  little,  with  the  great  beard,"  the 
first  proprietor  of  the  abbey,  whose  portrait  in  black  hangs  up  in  the 
drawing-room.  He  has  been  seen  by  a  young  lady  visitor,  sitting  by  the 
fireplace  of  one  of  the  state  apartments,  reading  out  of  a  great  book.  I 
could  mention  other  stories  of  the  kind,  but  these  are  sufficient  to  show 
you  that  this  old  building  is  more  than  usually  favored  by  ghosts. 

We  are  here  in  the  centre  of  Robin  Hood's  country,  what  once  was 
merry  Sherwood  forest,  though  now  it  is  an  open  country.  There  are 
some  tracts  of  the  forest,  however,  remaining  in  ancient  wildness,  with 
immense  oaks  several  hundred  years  old,  mostly  shattered  and  hollow, 
and  inhabited  by  jackdaws.  I  have  rode  through  the  green  glades  of 
these  monumental  forests,  and  pictured  to  myself  Robin  Hood  and  all  his 
renowned  band  of  outlaws  ;  and  I  have  visited  many  points  of  the  neigh 
borhood  which  still  bear  traces  of  him,  such  as  Robin  Hood's  chair,  Robin 
Hood's  stable,  his  well,  etc.,  etc.,  and  I  have  the  line  of  Robin  Hood's  hills 
in  view  from  the  windows  of  my  apartment.  I  am  thus  in  the  midst  of 
a  poetical  region. 

For  several  days  past  the  Duke  of  Sussex  (brother  to  the  king)  has  been 
on  a  visit  at  the  abbey.  His  presence  has  caused  a  succession  of  dinners 
and  fgtes,  which  has  drawn  to  the  abbey  the  most  agreeable  company  of 
the  neighborhood,  and  given  me  an  opportunity  of  seeing  all  the  ' '  flowers 
of  the  forest."  It  has  been  delightful  to  see  the  old  cloisters  and  the  ter 
raced  walks  of  the  garden  enlivened  by  beautiful  groups  of  ladies,  and  to 
hear  the  halls  resounding  in  the  evening  with  the  harp  and  piano. 
The  Duke  of  Sussex  is  a  most  amiable  man,  and  puts  every  one  at  ease 
by  his  sociable  and  good-humored  manner.  I  had  frequently  seen  him  at 
court  and  met  him  at  formal  diplomatic  dinners,  on  which  occasions  he 
had  always  been  extremely  civil  in  his  conduct  toward  me  ;  but  in  thus 
meeting  him  in  the  country  I  experienced  a  more  familiar  cordiality. 

I  shall  remain  here  a  few  days  longer  and  then  return  to  London,  to  at 
tend  to  my  literary  affairs,  which  from  various  circumstances  have  been  a 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVIN&.  211 

little  retarded Give  my  love  to  all  your  household.     Ever  most 

affectionately  your  brother,  W.  I. 

Mr.  Irving  was  still  at  Newstead,  when  he  received  the 
following  letter  from  the  American  poet,  William  Cullen 
Bryant,  now  one  of  the  throned  names  of  modern  litera 
ture,  who,  having  achieved  a  well-earned  celebrity  in  his 
own  country,  was  disposed  to  try  what  welcome  he  was 
likely  to  meet  at  the  hands  of  a  kindred  nation. 

[William  Cullen  Bryant  to  Washington  Irving.] 

NEW  YORK,  December  29,  1831. 
SIR:— 

I  have  put  to  press  in  this  city  a  duodecimo  volume  of  240  pages,  com 
prising  all  my  poems  which  I  thought  worth  printing,  most  of  which  have 
already  appeared.  Several  of  them  I  believe  you  have  seen,  and  of  some, 
if  I  am  rightly  informed,  you  have  been  pleased  to  express  a  favorable 
opinion.  Before  publishing  the  work  here,  I  have  sent  a  copy  of  it  to 
Murray,  the  London  bookseller,  by  whom  I  am  desirous  that  it  should  be 
published  in  England.  I  have  taken  the  liberty,  which  I  hope  you  will 
pardon  a  countryman  of  yours,  who  relies  on  the  known  kindness  of  your 
disposition  to  plead  his  excuse,  of  referring  him  to  you.  As  it  is  not 
altogether  impossible  that  the  work  might  be  republished  in  England,  if 
I  did  not  offer  it  myself,  I  could  wish  that  it  might  be  published  by  a 
respectable  bookseller  in  a  respectable  manner. 

I  have  written  to  Mr.  Verplanck,  desiring  him  to  give  me  a  letter  to 
you  on  the  subject  ;  but  as  the  packet  which  takes  out  my  book  will  sail 
before  I  can  receive  an  answer,  I  have  presumed  so  far  on  your  goodness 
as  to  make  the  application  myself.  May  I  ask  of  you  the  favor  to  write 
to  Mr.  Murray  on  the  subject  as  soon  as  you  receive  this  ?  In  my  letter 
to  him  I  have  said  nothing  of  the  terms,  which  of  course  will  depend 


212  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

upon  circumstances  which  I  may  not  know,  or  of  which  I  cannot 
judge.  I  should  be  glad  to  receive  something  for  the  work,  but  if  he 
does  not  think  it  worth  his  while  to  give  anything,  I  had  rather  he  should 
take  it  for  nothing,  than  that  it  should  not  be  published  by  a  respectable 
bookseller. 

I  must  again  beg  you  to  excuse  the  freedom  I  have  taken.  I  have 
no  personal  acquaintance  in  England,  whom  I  could  ask  to  do  what  I 
have  ventured  to  request  of  you ;  and  I  know  of  no  person  to  whom  I 
could  prefer  the  request  with  greater  certainty  that  it  will  be  kindly 
entertained.  I  am,  sir, 

With  sentiments  of  the  highest  respect, 

Your  obedient  humble  servant, 

WILLIAM  C.  BRYANT. 

P.  S.  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  accompany  this  letter  with  a  copy  of 
the  work. 

There  are  many  things  really  exquisite  in  the  volume  [writes  Mr.  Ir 
ving  a  few  days  later],  yet  I  despair  of  finding  a  bookseller  that  will  offer 
anything  for  it,  or  that  will  even  publish  it  for  his  own  benefit.  Such  is 
the  stagnation  of  the  literary  market.  When  reform  and  cholera  have 
passed  away,  and  the  public  mind  becomes  a  little  tranquil,  there  will 
doubtless  be  a  revival,  but  until  then  authors  like  the  manufacturers  must 
suffer. 

The  letter  from  Verplanck,  which  follows,  probably 
reached  Mr.  Irving  at  the  same  time  with  the  foregoing. 

\0ulian  C.  Verplanck  to  Washington  Irving.] 

WASHINGTON,  December  31,  1831. 

DEAR  IRVING  : — 

My  friend  Bryant,  some  of  whose  poetry  I  know  you  have  read  and  ad 
mired,  has  been  correcting,  collecting,  and  is  about  to  publish  a  volume 
of  his  poems  in  New  York.  I  need  not  praise  them  to  you.  A  letter  re- 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  213 

ceived  from  him  this  morning  informs  me  that  he  has  sent  a  copy  of  them 
to  Murray,  and  has  referred  him  to  you  as  to  the  character  of  the  work. 
I  believe  that  I  am  answerable  myself  for  this  liberty,  though  he  asks  me 
"to  inform  (you)  of  the  liberty  he  has  taken."  His  object  is  an  honora 
ble  publication  in  Europe,  though  I  take  it  for  granted  that  profit  would 
be  acceptable,  which  I  am  happy  to  say  is  not  necessary.  You  will  re 
ceive  a  copy  of  the  book,  which  I  have  not  yet  seen  in  the  present  shape  ; 
but  his  "Lines  to  the  Past,"  "Lament  of  Romero,"  "Southern  Wind," 
and  everything  painting  our  own  scenery  I  am  sure  can  be  eclipsed  by 
nothing  of  our  own  day;  the  first  I  have  thought  by  nothing  in  the  lan 
guage. 

Few  but  would  agree  with  Verplanck  in  this  eulogy  of 
Bryant's  "  Lines  to  the  Past,"  as  eclipsed  by  nothing  in 
the  language.  Mr.  Irving  immediately  addressed  Murray 
on  the  subject,  as  will  appear  from  the  date  of  the  fol 
lowing  reply  from  his  son,  which  I  find  among  his  papers : 

[To  Washington  Irving.] 

ALBEMARLE  STREET,  January  30. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  : — 

Mr.  Bryant's  volume  of  poems  has  not  yet  made  its  appearance,  though 
I  believe  it  is  on  its  way.  Knowing  as  I  do  my  father's  antipathy  to  every 
thing  in  the  shape  of  poetry  of  the  present  day,  I  doubt  whether  he  will 
be  disposed  to  publish  it.  If  so,  I  will  forward  the  volume  to  you  when 
it  comes  to  hand.  Very  truly  yours, 

J.    MURRAY. 

Murray,  wnose  affairs  were  very  much  embarrassed  at 
the  time,  did  not  incline  to  any  poetical  venture.  Mr. 
Irving  accordingly  took  the  poems  to  Mr.  Andrews,  a 
fashionable  bookseller,  who  agreed  to  publish  them  on 


214  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

condition  that  he  [Mr.  Irving]  would  edit  them,  and 
write  a  dedication,  to  which  he  cheerfully  consented. 
But  the  literary  market,  as  we  have  seen,  was  at  low 
water  at  this  time,  in  consequence  of  the  prevalence  of 
reform  and  cholera,  and  while  the  poems  were  passing 
through  the  press,  the  publisher  became  alarmed  for  the 
effect  of  an  offensive  line  in  the  poem  of  "  Marion's  Men," 

"  And  the  British  soldier  trembles 
When  Marion's  name  is  heard." 

fearing  that  it  would  prejudice  the  sale  of  the  work  with 
the  English  public,  and  bring  him  in  a  loser. 

In  deference  to  his  scruples,  though  giving  little 
weight  to  them  himself,  Mr.  Irving  thoughtlessly  con 
sented  to  expunge  the  obnoxious  adjective  British,  so 
as  to  make  the  line  read — 

"And  the  foeman  trembles  in  his  camp" — 

It  was  an  act  done  in  a  spirit  of  kindness  to  bookseller 
and  author,  without  pausing  to  inquire  whether  he  had 
authority  to  make  the  change  without  the  sanction  of  the 
latter,  and  though  it  never  formed  a  ground  of  complaint 
by  Mr.  Bryant,  it  will  be  seen  hereafter  that  Mr.  Irving 
was  assailed  for  the  alteration  by  another,  and  replied, 
as  Bryant  himself  has  remarked,  with  "mingled  spirit 
and  dignity."  I  now  give  as  a  part  of  the  history  of  this 
transaction,  Mr.  Irving's  letter  of  Dedication  to  Rogers, 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  215 

prefixed  to  the  poems,  with  that  poet's  and  Bryant's  re 
joinders. 


[To  Samuel  Rogers, 
MY  DEAR  SIR  :  — 

During  an  intimacy  of  several  years'  standing  I  hare  uniformly  re 
marked  a  liberal  interest  on  your  part  in  the  rising  character  and  for 
tunes  of  my  country,  and  a  kind  disposition  to  promote  the  success  of 
American  talent,  whether  engaged  in  literature  or  the  arts.  I  am  in 
duced,  therefore,  as  a  tribute  of  gratitude,  as  well  as  a  general  testimonial 
of  respect  and  friendship,  to  lay  before  you  the  present  volume,  in  which, 
for  the  first  time,  are  collected  together  the  fugitive  productions  of  one 
of  our  living  poets,  whose  writings  are  deservedly  popular  throughout  the 
United  States. 

Many  of  these  poems  have  appeared  at  various  times  in  periodical  pub 
lications  ;  and  some  of  them,  I  am  aware,  have  met  your  eye  and  received 
the  stamp  of  your  approbation.  They  could  scarcely  fail  to  do  so,  char 
acterized  as  they  are  by  a  purity  of  moral,  an  elevation  and  refinement 
of  thought,  and  a  terseness  and  elegance  of  diction,  congenial  to  the  bent 
of  your  own  genius  and  to  your  cultivated  taste.  They  appear  to  me  to 
belong  to  the  best  school  of  English  poetry,  and  to  be  entitled  to  rank 
among  the  highest  of  their  class. 

The  British  public  has  already  expressed  its  delight  at  the  graphic  de 
scriptions  of  American  scenery  and  wild  woodland  characters  contained 
in  the  works  of  our  national  novelist,  Cooper.  The  same  keen  eye  and 
fresh  feeling  for  nature,  the  same  indigenous  style  of  thinking  and  local 
peculiarity  of  imagery,  which  give  such  novelty  and  interest  to  the  pages 
of  that  gifted  writer,  will  be  found  to  characterize  this  volume,  condensed 
into  a  narrower  compass,  and  sublimated  into  poetry. 

The  descriptive  writings  of  Mr.  Bryant  are  essentially  American.  They 
transport  us  into  the  depths  of  the  solemn  primeval  forest,  to  the  shores 
of  the  lonely  lake,  the  banks  of  the  wild,  nameless  stream,  or  the  brow  of 
the  rocky  upland,  rising  like  a  promontory  from  amidst  a  wide  ocean  of 


216  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

foliage  ;  while  they  shed  around  us  the  glories  of  a  climate,  fierce  in  its 
extremes,  but  splendid  in  all  its  vicissitudes.  His  close  observation  of 
the  phenomena  of  nature  and  the  graphic  felicity  of  his  details,  prevent 
his  descriptions  from  ever  becoming  general  and  commonplace  ;  while  he 
has  the  gift  of  shedding  over  them  a  pensive  grace  that  blends  them  all 
into  harmony,  and  of  clothing  them  with  moral  associations  that  make 
them  speak  to  the  heart.  Neither,  I  am  convinced,  will  it  be  the  least 
of  his  merits  in  your  eyes,  that  his  writings  are  imbued  with  the  inde 
pendent  spirit  and  buoyant  aspirations  incident  to  a  youthful,  a  free,  and 
a  rising  country. 

It  is  not  my  intention,  however,  to  enter  into  any  critical  comments  on 
these  poems,  but  merely  to  introduce  them,  through  your  sanction,  to  the 
British  public.  They  must  then  depend  for  success  on  their  own  merits  ; 
though  I  cannot  help  flattering  myself  that  they  will  be  received  as  pure 
gems,  which,  though  produced  in  a  foreign  clime,  are  worthy  of  being 
carefully  preserved  in  the  common  treasury  of  the  language.  I  am,  my 
dear  sir, 

Ever  most  faithfully  yours, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 
LONDON,  March,  1832. 

MY  DEAR  IRVING  : — 

I  wish  I  could  thank  you  as  I  ought,  but  that  is  impossible.  If  there 
are  some  feelings  which  make  men  eloquent,  mine  are  not  just  now  of  that 
class.  To  have  been  mentioned  by  you  with  regard  on  any  occasion,  I 
should  always  have  considered  as  a  good  fortune.  What  then  must  I 
have  felt,  when  I  read  what  you  have  written  ?  If  I  was  a  vain  man  be 
fore,  I  am  now  in  danger  of  becoming  a  proud  one  ;  and  yet  I  can  truly 
say  that  never  in  my  life  was  I  made  more  conscious  of  my  unworthiness 
than  you  have  made  me  by  your  praise. 

Believe  me  to  be 

Your  very  grateful  and  very  sincere  friend, 

SAMUEL  ROGERS. 

March  6,  1832. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  217 

YOEK,  April  24,  1832. 


MY  DEAR  SIR  :  — 

I  have  received  a  copy  of  the  London  edition  of  my  poems  forwarded 
by  you.  I  find  it  difficult  to  express  the  sense  I  entertain  of  the  obliga 
tion  you  have  laid  me  under,  by  doing  so  much  more  for  me  in  this  mat 
ter  than  I  could  have  ventured,  under  any  circumstances,  to  expect. 
Had  your  kindness  been  limited  to  procuring  the  publication  of  the  work, 
I  should  still  have  esteemed  the  favor  worthy  of  my  particular  acknowl 
edgment  ;  but  by  giving  it  the  sanction  of  your  name,  and  presenting  it 
to  the  British  public  with  a  recommendation  so  powerful  as  yours,  on 
both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  I  feel  that  you  have  done  me  an  honor  in  the 
eyes  of  my  countrymen,  and  of  the  world. 

It  is  said  that  you  intend  shortly  to  visit  this  country.  Your  return  to 
your  native  land  will  be  welcomed  with  enthusiasm,  and  I  shall  be  most 
happy  to  make  my  acknowledgments  in  person. 

I  am,  sir,  very  sincerely  yours, 

WM.  C.  BRYANT. 

Mr.  Irving  was  crossing  the  ocean  on  his  way  home  at 
the  date  of  the  foregoing  letter,  which  was  intended  to 
reach  him  in  Europe.  As  soon  as  Bryant  heard  of  his 
return,  he  addressed  him  this  second  letter  of  acknowl 
edgment,  which  was  the  first  received  :  — 

PHILADELPHIA,  May  22,  1832. 
MY  DEAR  SIR  :  — 

I  wrote  to  you  some  time  since,  to  express  my  thanks  for  the  kind  in 
terest  you  have  taken  in  the  publication  of  my  book  in  England,  but  per 
ceiving  your  name  in  a  morning  paper  among  those  of  the  passengers  in 
the  last  Havre  packet,  I  conclude  that  my  letter  has  not  reached  you.  1 
take  this  opportunity,  therefore,  of  doing  what  my  absence  from  New 
York  will  not  permit  me  to  do  at  present  in  person,  namely,  to  say  how 
exceedingly  I  am  obliged  to  you  for  having  done  so  much  more  for  my 


218  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

book  than  I  was  entitled  under  any  circumstances  to  expect.  I  was  not 
vain  enough  to  hope  that  you  would  give  it  to  the  British  public  with  the 
sanction  of  your  name,  or  take  upon  yourself  in  any  degree  the  responsi 
bility  of  its  merit.  To  your  having  done  so,  I  ascribe  the  favorable  re 
ception,  for  such  it  is,  so  far  as  I  am  able  to  judge,  which  it  has  met  with 
in  Great  Britain,  as  well  as  much  of  the  kindness  with  which  it  is  regarded 
in  this  country. 

I  am,  sir,  very  gratefully  and  truly  yours, 

W.  C.  BRYANT. 

Having  anticipated  a  little  to  give  the  foregoing  letters, 
I  must  now  go  back  to  a  period  just  preceding  the  Lon 
don  publication  of  the  poems. 

February  14th,  Washington  writes  to  his  brother  Eb- 
enezer  from  London : — 

It  is  a  deplorable  time  for  publishing  in  England :  reform  and  cholera ! 
The  latter  has  just  made  its  appearance  about  the  lower  skirts  of  the  city. 
The  panic  about  it,  however,  has  in  a  great  measure  subsided.  I  feel  no 
apprehension  of  it,  and  even  if  it  spreads  shall  not  leave  town  until  all 
my  literary  arrangements  are  complete. 

Two  days  later  he  writes  to  Peter : — 

You  will  perceive,  by  the  papers,  that  there  are  repeated  cases  of  the 
cholera  about  the  skirts  of  London.  Never  did  a  nation  take  more  pains 
to  put  itself  into  a  panic  and  a  scrape  than  this.  I  doubt  very  much 
whether  these  cases  are  anything  worse  than  what  they  have  almost 
every  year,  and  certainly  the  experience  of  three  or  four  months  during 
which  this  cholera  has  been  raging  in  various  parts  of  the  island  shows 
it  to  be  one  of  the  most  moderate  epidemics  that  had  ever  laid  a  country 
desolate. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  219 

Mr.  Irving  was,  on  all  occasions  of  peril  cr  panic,  the 
reverse  of  an  alarmist. 

The  letter  which  follows  bears  date  on  the  sixth  of 
March,  and  will  show,  among  other  matters  of  interest, 
how  he  regarded  the  Senate's  refusal  to  confirm  the 
nomination  of  Mr.  Van  Buren  as  Minister  to  England. 
The  pretext  for  this  rejection,  it  may  be  remembered, 
was  found  in  a  passage  of  that  gentleman's  instructions 
when  Secretary  of  State,  to  Mr.  McLane,  respecting  his 
negotiations  with  the  English  Ministry  for  the  reopening 
of  the  trade  with  the  British  West  Indies  ;  a  privilege 
which  had  been  forfeited  in  former  administrations,  and 
which  was  restored  under  the  Presidency  of  General 
Jackson.  Webster  and  Clay  opposed  the  confirmation, 
and  it  was  lost  by  the  casting  vote  of  the  Vice-President, 
John  C.  Calhoun. 

[To  Peter  Irving."] 

LONDON,  March  16, 1882. 
MY  DEAR  BROTHER  : —    .... 

Mr.  Van  Buren  pursues  pretty  much  the  plan  you  thought  of,  when 
you  spoke  of  the  possibility  of  his  nomination  being  rejected.  Some  of 
his  friends  were  urgent  for  his  immediate  return,  to  throw  himself  into 
the  Senate,  and  attack  his  foes  sword  in  hand.  We  had  long  talks  on 
the  subject  ;  the  result  was  that  he  determined  to  remain  here  a  few 
weeks  until  he  had  put  the  affairs  of  the  legation  in  a  fair  train  ;  then  to 
visit  some  parts  of  the  continent,  and  to  sail  for  the  United  States  so  as 
to  be  there  in  June ;  by  which  time  the  public  sentiment  will  have  had 
time  to  express  itself  fully  and  sincerely,  without  any  personal  agitation 
on  his  part.  This  is  certainly  the  most  dignified  course,  and  I  think  will 


220 

be  the  most  popular.  I  look  upon  his  rejection  as  a  very  short-sighted 
and  mean-spirited  act  of  hostility  ;  and  regret  that  Clay  should  have  suf 
fered  party  politics  so  far  to  have  corroded  his  naturally  generous  and 
chivalrous  nature  as  to  have  been  concerned  in  it.  But  such  a  long  and 
losing  game  as  he  has  been  playing,  is  apt  to  spoil  the  noblest  temper. 

The  rejection  by  the  Senate  was  unexpected  by  Mr.  Van  Buren,  as  it 
was  by  myself.  We  both  thought  there  would  have  been  talking  and 
threatening  on  the  subject ;  but  that  he  would  have  been  confirmed  by  a 
bare  majority.  This  news  took  him,  therefore,  by  surprise,  and  when  he 
was  suffering  under  indisposition ;  but  he  bore  it  with  great  equanimity. 
There  were  just  at  the  time  levees,  and  drawing-room  and  state  dinners, 
in  honor  of  the  Queen's  birthday.  He  was  in  doubt  whether  to  appear  at 
them,  as  it  had  been  represented  in  the  papers  that  the  vote  of  rejection 
stripped  him  of  his  diplomatic  functions,  and  rendered  all  that  he  had 
done  nugatory,  unless  sanctioned  by  the  Senate.  I  advised  him  to  take 
the  field  and  show  himself  superior  to  the  blow  leveled  at  him ;  at  the 
same  time  I  had  the  statement  in  the  papers  corrected  and  the  fact  made 
known,  that  his  appointment  and  all  his  acts  were  valid  until  the  end 
of  the  session  of  Congress,  unless  he  should  be  previously  recalled  by 
the  President.  He  accordingly  appeared  at  all  the  court  ceremonials  ; 
and,  to  the  credit  of  John  Bull,  was  universally  received  with  the  most 
marked  attention.  Every  one  seemed  to  understand  and  sympathize  in 
his  case  ;  and  he  has  ever  since  been  treated  with  more  respect  and 
attention  than  before  by  the  royal  family,  by  the  members  of  the  present 
and  the  old  cabinet,  and  the  different  persons  of  the  diplomatic  corps. 
This  I  consider  an  earnest  of  the  effect  that  will  be  produced  by  the  same 
cause  in  the  United  States.  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  this  vote  of 
the  Senate  goes  far  towards  ultimately  elevating  him  to  the  Presidential 
chair. 

The  more  I  see  of  Mr.  V.  B.,  the  more  I  feel  confirmed  in  a  strong  per 
sonal  regard  for  him.  He  is  one  of  the  gentlest  and  most  amiable  men  I 
have  ever  met  with  ;  with  an  affectionate  disposition  that  attaches  itself 
to  those  around  him,  and  wins  their  kindness  in  return. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  221 

I  presume  you  will  see,  by  the  papers,  how  royally  King  Stephen  *  has 
been  acting.  You  know  he  went  from  here,  released  from  all  his  debts 
by  an  act  of  bankruptcy,  and  in  bad  odor  with  his  creditors  and  the  pub 
lic.  He  returned  a  short  time  since,  with  money  in  both  pockets,  and  he 
paid  off  all  his  debts  with  interest  to  the  amount  of  several  thousand 
pounds.  Cooper,  the  actor  of  Covent  Garden,  received  £1,000,  which  he 
had  considered  lost.  One  of  the  creditors  had  died  in  the  interim  ;  but 
King  Stephen  sought  out  his  heirs  and  paid  the  money  punctually.  The 
papers  are  all  loud  in  his  praise,  and  it  is  pronounced  "a  splendid  instance 
of  honesty." 

"  Robert  the  Devil"  is  brought  out  in  a  higgledy-piggledy  manner  at 
various  theatres  ;  the  music  but  partially  picked  up  by  ear  and  by  scraps. 
The  real  score  of  the  music  is  purchased  for  the  opera. 

Frank  Mills  has  caught  a  dramatic  mania,  and  aided  in  cooking  up  the 
piece  for  Drury  Lane.  He  wrote  the  songs,  and  a  Mr.  Beasley  (not  RbU' 
ben)  the  dialogue. 

The  success  at  the  two  great  theatres  is  not  as  great  as  was  expected. 
I  am  glad  to  find  Mills  taking  to  the  theatre,  instead  of  the  turf.  He  is 
likely  to  lose  less  money  by  Pegasus  than  by  a  race-horse.  I  called  on 
him  a  day  or  two  before  the  first  performance  of  the  play,  not  having 
seen  him  for  many  months.  His  servant  said  he  was  not  up  ;  but  I  sent 
word  that  the  manager  of  the  theatre  wanted  to  see  him  and  he  must 
come  out  in  his  robe  de  chambre.  There  was  no  resisting  the  summons 
of  a  king  of  shreds  and  patches,  and  Mills  was  caught  by  one  of  those 
small  hoaxes  of  which  he  is  so  fond.  I  had  a  very  pleasant  breakfast 
with  him.  We  brightened  the  chain  of  old  friendship.  I  have  sin^e 
dined  tete-a-tete,  and  been  to  the  play  with  him,  and  been  much  amused 
with  his  gossip  and  vagaries  in  his  new  vein. 

The  relation  of  this  little  hoax  practiced  on  Mills,  who, 
it  may  be  remembered,  was  an  Oxonian,  with  whom  he 

*  Stephen  Price,  formerly  manager  of  the  Park  Theatre  in  New  York. 


222  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

had  become  intimate  some  years  before,  brings  to  my 
mind  a  similar  piece  of  fun  which  Mr.  Irving  played  off 
on  Mathews,  the  eminent  comedian,  to  whom  he  had 
given  letters  to  America.  He  was  in  the  theatre  in  Lon 
don,  when  the  great  mimic,  after  his  return  from  his  pro 
fessional  tour  in  this  country,  gave  a  dramatic  monologue 
in  which  he  served  up  Brother  Jonathan  in  racy  and  rel 
ishing  caricature.  The  travesty  was  very  successful  and 
was  received  by  John  Bull  with  great  applause.  After 
the  performance,  Mr.  Irving  stepped  behind  the  scenes, 
and  sent  in  a  message  to  the  player  that  an  American 
was  outside  and  wished  to  speak  with  him.  Mathews, 
who  was  changing  his  dress,  when  startled  at  the  unex 
pected  summons,  came  out  at  once  in  a  state  of  nervous 
excitement,  still  struggling  into  the  sleeves  of  his  coat. 
On  seeing  who  his  visitor  was,  his  countenance  imme 
diately  brightened,  and  seizing  him  by  both  hands,  he  ex 
claimed  :  "  My  God !  Irving,  is  it  you,  my  dear  fellow?  I 
am  very  glad  to  see  you."  "Yes,  it  is  me,"  said  Mr.  Ir 
ving,  "  but  confess  that  you  expected  to  find  a  tall  Ken- 
tuckian  with  a  gun  on  his  shoulder." 

In  some  further  extracts  from  the  letter  to  Peter,  of 
March  6,  already  given  in  part,  he  writes  : 

I  shall  endeavor  in  the  course  of  a  lew  days,  to  make  a  flying  visit  to 
Birmingham,  which  must  be  my  last  one  prior  to  my  sailing  for  the 
U.  S.  I  shall  endeavor  to  arrange  my  affairs,  so  as  to  cross  from  South 
ampton  to  Havre  about  the  1st  of  April,  and  to  sail  from  thence  by  the 
first  packet  that  departs. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  223 

.  .  .  .  Leslie  will  have  three  pictures  at  the  Exhibition — a  fine 
scene  from  Catherine  and  Petruchio,  a  very  charming  family  picture  of  the 
family  of  the  Marquis  of  Westminster  (ci-devant  Lord  Grosvcnor),  and  a 
pretty  picture  of  two  figures  from  Sterne's  "Tristram  Shandy,"  where 
the  French  Grisette  is  untwisting  the  papers  from  her  hair  and  throwing 
them  into  Tristram's  hat,  who  is  examining  one  of  them  with  an  air  of 
whimsical  annoyance,  finding  it  to  be  his  travelling  remarks. 

I  passed  an  evening  at  Leslie's  not  long  since,  when  Peter  Powell  acted 
his  melodrama  in  great  style,  and  gave  his  oratorio  into  the  bargain  ;  it 
was  a  great  comic  treat. 

Mr.  Van  Buren  will  leave  London  about  the  1st  April,  and  will  proba 
bly  visit  Holland  before  coming  to  Paris. 

I  write  nothing  about  the  cholera,  because  I  scarcely  think  about  it. 

On  the  23d  of  March,  Colonel  Aspinwall  had  concluded 
a  bargain  with  Colburn  and  Bentley  for  1,000  guineas,  for 
the  two  volumes  of  the  "Alhambra,"  at  six,  nine,  and  twelve 
months ;  and  Mr.  Irving  was  now  all  anxiety  to  be  on  the 
high  seas,  on  his  way  to  the  home  from  which  he  had  so 
long  been  severed.  March  28th,  he  sends  the  dedication 
for  the  American  edition  ;  and  April  2d,  he  was  to  leave 
London  for  Southampton,  and  embark  on  the  3d  for 
Havre,  where  he  expected  to  meet  and  take  leave  of 
Peter,  who  remained  behind  unable,  from  the  infirm  con 
dition  of  his  health,  to  attempt  the  voyage.  He  em 
barked  at  Havre  April  11,  and  arrived  at  New  York  May 
21,  after  a  passage  of  forty  days. 

Our  voyage  [he  writes  to  Peter]  was  rather  boisterous  and  wintry,  ex 
cepting  the  latter  part,  when  we  ran  to  the  south  into  the  latitude  of  the 
Bermudas,  and  found  smooth  seas  and  summer  weather  The  wind 


224  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

headed  as  we  approached  our  port,  and  the  ship  had  to  come  to  anchor 
outside  of  the  bar  at  the  Hook  ;  but  I  got  into  a  newsboat  at  sea,  had  a 
delightful  sail  up  the  bay,  and  landed  on  one  of  the  wharves  of  the  city 
about  sunset. 

His  reception  was  most  cordial.  The  delight  with 
which  he  renewed  his  acquaintance  with  his  native  coun 
try  overflows  in  his  letters. 

I  have  been  absolutely  overwhelmed  [he  writes  to  Peter]  with  the  wel 
comes  and  felicitations  of  my  friends.  It  seems  as  if  all  the  old  slanders 
of  the  city  had  called  on  me  ;  and  I  am  continually  in  the  midst  of  old 
associates  who,  thank  God,  have  borne  the  wear  and  tear  of  seventeen 
years  surprisingly,  and  are  all  in  good  health,  good  looks,  and  good  cir 
cumstances.  This,  with  the  increased  beauty,  and  multiplied  conve 
niences  and  delights  of  the  city,  has  rendered  my  return  home  won 
derfully  exciting.  I  have  been  in  a  tumult  of  enji  yment  ever  since  my 
arrival ;  am  pleased  with  everything  and  everybody,  and  as  happy  as 
mortal  being  can  be. 

The  day  on  which  the  letter  was  written  from  which 
these  extracts  are  taken,  Mr.  Irving  had  to  undergo  the 
severe  ordeal  of  a  public  dinner,  given  to  him  by  his 
early  friends  and  townsmen,  to  express  their  gratification 
at  his  return,  and  to  welcome  him  to  his  native  city. 
The  warm  and  affectionate  zeal  which  had  been  displayed 
in  getting  it  up  could  not  but  be  deeply  gratifying,  and 
the  testimonial  was  so  cordial  that  he  could  not  decline 
the  invitation,  though  loth  at  all  times  to  any  public  ex 
hibition  of  himself,  or  anything  that  savored  of  parade  or 
display.  "  I  look  forward  to  it  with  awe,"  he  writes  to 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  225 

Peter,  "  and  shall  be  heartily  glad  when  it  is  over." 
What  made  it  the  more  trying  to  his  nerves,  was  that  a 
speech  would  be  expected  from  him  of  course,  and  though 
bred  to  the  bar,  as  we  have  seen,  he  was  altogether  un- 
practiced  in  speaking  in  public,  and  from  an  over  sensi 
bility  of  temperament  could  not  rely  upon  the  control  of 
his  powers  on  such  occasions.  Some  of  his  friends,  to 
whom  he  expressed  his  apprehensions  of  a  breakdown, 
advised  him  to  put  himself  in  training,  but  he  shrunk 
from  the  idea  of  studied  preparation,  and  said,  though 
in  danger  of  a  breakdown  under  any  circumstances,  he 
would  be  sure  of  such  a  result  if  he  undertook  to  mar 
shal  his  thoughts,  and  arrange  his  words  beforehand. 
He  must  therefore  trust  to  luck. 

I  was  absent  from  the  city  when  the  dinner  took  place, 
but  I  have  heard  his  early  and  honored  friend,  Charles 
King,  the  President  of  Columbia  College,  pronounce  it, 
years  afterward,  the  most  successful  public  banquet  ever 
given  in  the  United  States — the  occasion  was  so  rare, 
the  homage  so  spontaneous,  the  hilarity  so  inspiring.  It 
took  place  at  the  City  Hotel.  When  Chancellor  Kent, 
the  eminent  jurist,  who  presided  on  the  occasion,  had 
concluded  a  very  complimentary  address,  he  gave :  "  Our 
illustrious  guest,  thrice  welcome  to  his  native  land." 

The  rest  I  quote  from  one  of  the  newspapers  of  the 
day,  the  "  Morning  Courier : " — 

Mr.  Irving  on  rising  was  greatly  agitated  by  the  warm  cheers  with  which 
he  was  hailed.     He  observed  that  he  believed  most  of  his  hearers  were 
VOL.  n. — 15 


226 

sensible  of  his  being  wholly  unused  to  public  speaking,  but  he  should  be 
wanting  in  the  feelings  of  human  nature  if  he  was  not  roused  and  excited 
by  the  present  scene. — After  renewed  cheering,  he  proceeded  in  as  nearly 
as  can  be  recollected,  the  following  words  : — "I  find  myself,  after  a  long 
absence  of  seventeen  years,  surrounded  by  the  friends  of  my  youth — by 
those  whom  in  my  early  days  I  was  accustomed  to  look  up  to  with  vener 
ation — by  others,  who,  though  personally  new  to  me,  I  recognize  as  the 
sons  of  the  patriarchs  of  my  native  city.  The  manner  in  which  I  have 
been  received  by  them,  has  rendered  this  the  proudest,  the  happiest  mo 
ment  of  my  life.  And  what  has  rendered  it  more  poignant  is,  that  I  had 
been  led,  at  times,  to  doubt  my  standing  in  the  affections  of  my  country 
men.  Rumors  and  suggestions  had  reached  me  [here  Mr.  I.  betrayed 
much  emotion]  that  absence  had  impaired  their  kind  feelings— that  they 
considered  me  alienated  in  heart  from  my  country.  Gentlemen,  I  was 
too  proud  to  vindicate  myself  from  such  a  charge  ;  nor  should  I  have 
alluded  to  it  at  this  time,  if  the  warm  and  affectionate  reception  I  have  met 
with  on  all  sides  since  my  landing,  and  the  overpowering  testimonials  of 
regard  here  offered  me,  had  not  proved  that  my  misgivings  were  ground 
less.  [Cheers  and  clapping  here  interrupted  the  speaker  for  a  few  mo 
ments.]  Never,  certainly,  did  a  man  return  to  his  native  place  after  so 
long  an  absence  under  happier  auspices.  On  my  side  I  see  changes,  it  is 
true,  but  they  are  the  changes  of  rapid  improvement  and  growing  pros 
perity;  even  the  countenances  of  my  old  associates  and  townsmen  have 
appeared  to  me  but  slightly  affected  by  the  lapse  of  years,  though  per 
haps  it  was  the  glow  of  ancient  friendship  and  heartfelt  welcome  beaming 
from  them,  that  prevented  me  from  seeing  the  ravages  of  time. 

"  As  to  my  native  city,  from  the  time  I  approached  the  coast  I  had  in- 
dications  of  its  growing  greatness.  We  had  scarce  descried  the  land, 
when  a  thousand  sails  of  all  descriptions  gleaming  along  the  horizon,  and 
all  standing  to  or  from  one  point,  showed  that  we  were  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  a  vast  commercial  emporium.  As  I  sailed  up  our  beautiful  bay, 
with  a  heart  swelling  with  old  recollections  and  delightful  associations,  I 
was  astonished  to  see  its  once  wild  features  brightening  with  populous 
villagw  and  noble  piles,  and  a  seeming  city,  extending  itself  over  heights 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  227 

I  had  left  covered  with  green  forests  [alluding,  probably,  to  Brooklyn 
and  Gowanus].  But  how  shall  I  describe  my  emotions  when  our  city 
rose  to  sight,  seated  in  the  midst  of  its  watery  domain,  stretching  away 
to  a  vast  extent — when  I  beheld  a  glorious  sunshine  lighting  up  the  skies 
and  domes,  some  familiar  to  memory,  others  new  and  unknown,  and 
beaming  upon  a  forest  of  masts  of  every  nation,  extending  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach.  I  have  gazed  with  admiration  upon  many  a  fair  city 
and  stately  harbor,  but  my  admiration  was  cold  and  ineffectual,  for  I  was 
a  stranger,  and  had  no  property  in  the  soil.  Here,  however,  my  heart 
throbbed  with  pride  and  joy  as  I  admired — I  had  a  birthright  in  the  brill' 
iant  scene  before  me  : 

"  •  This  was  my  own,  my  native  land.' " 

Mr.  Irving  was  here  interrupted  by  immense  applause:  when  the  cheer 
ing  had  subsided,  he  went  on  as  follows  :  "It  has  been  asked,  ' Can  I  be 
content  to  live  in  this  country  ? '  Whoever  asks  that  question,  must  have 
but  an  inadequate  idea  of  its  blessings  and  delights.  What  sacrifice  of 
enjoyments  have  I  to  reconcile  myself  to  ?  I  come  from  gloomier  climes 
to  one  of  brilliant  sunshine  and  inspiring  purity.  I  come  from  countries 
lowering  with  doubt  and  danger,  where  the  rich  man  trembles,  and  the 
poor  man  frowns — where  all  repine  at  the  present  and  dread  the  future. 
I  come  from  these,  to  a  country  where  all  is  life  and  animation  ;  where  I 
hear  on  every  side  the  sound  of  exultation  ;  where  every  one  speaks  of 
the  past  with  triumph,  the  present  with  delight,  the  future  with  growing 
and  confident  anticipation.  Is  this  not  a  community  in  which  one  may 
rejoice  to  live  ?  Is  this  not  a  city  by  which  one  may  be  proud  to  be  re 
ceived  as  the  son  ?  Is  this  not  a  land  in  which  one  may  be  happy  to  fix 
his  destiny,  and  his  ambition — if  possible — to  found  a  name  ?  [A  burst 
of  applause,  when  Mr.  Irving  quickly  resumed  :] — I  am  asked  how  long  1 
mean  to  remain  here  ?  They  know  but  little  of  my  heart  or  my  feelings 
who  can  ask  me  this  question.  I  answer  as  long  as  I  live. "  The  roof  now 
rung  with  bravos,  handkerchiefs  were  waved  on  every  side,  "  three  cheers  " 
again  and  again,  and  plaudit  upon  plaudit  following  in  such  quick  suc 
cession,  begun,  ended,  and  begun  again,  that  it  was  some  time  before  the 


228  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

toast  with  which  Mr.  Irving  concluded,  could  be  heard.     It  was  as  fol 
lows — 

"  Our  City — May  GOD  continue  to  prosper  it." 

Mr.  Irving  got  through  his  speech  better  than  he  had 
hoped,  but  not  so  well,  perhaps,  as  if  he  had  not  been  so 
frequently  interrupted  by  cheers,  which  had  a  tendency 
to  disturb  the  current  of  his  thoughts.  He  had  no  idea 
of  closing  when  he  did,  I  have  heard  him  say,  but  the 
acclamations  which  followed  the  declaration  "as  long  as 
I  live,"  were  so  prolonged  that  it  gave  him  time  to  think 
it  was  as  well  to  stop.  He  had  got  on  so  far  so  much 
better  than  he  anticipated,  that  he  felt,  he  said,  it  might 
be  a  tempting  of  Providence  to  continue,  and  so  he  wound 
up.  Newton,  who  sat  near  him,  and  feared  for  the  effect 
of  his  nervous  perturbation,  observed  afterwards  to  a 
relative  from  whom  I  have  the  anecdote  :  "  I  trembled 
for  him,  until  I  saw  him  seize  the  handle  of  a  knife  and 
commence  gesticulating  with  that ;  then  I  knew  he  would 
get  on." 

The  day  succeeding  the  dinner,  Newton  addressed  the 
following  letter  to  Peter  Irving,  who  had  been  warmly 
remembered  by  his  old  friends  at  the  festivity,  with  many 
regrets  for  his  continued  absence,  which  had  now  been 
prolonged  to  twenty-three  years. 

NEW  YORK,  May  81. 
MY  DEAR  SIR: — 

The  packet  sailing  to-day,  and  Washington  being  out  of  town,  I  seize 
a  moment  to  write  you  a  few  lines  that  you  may  be,  as  soon  as  possible, 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  229 

aware  of  the  happiness  which  he  and  all  around  him  are  enjoying  from 
his  welcome  arrival  here — his  delight  seems  to  be  boundless,  and  it  ought 
to  be  so,  for  I  do  not  know  how  either  his  pride  or  his  affections  could 
be  more  gratified  than  by  the  enthusiastic  and  kind  reception  he  meets 
with — it  is  really  an  era  in  this  place  !  A  public  dinner  was  given  to 
him  yesterday,  attended  by  all  the  elite  of  the  place  and  neighborhood — 
an  assembly  of  nearly  three  hundred  persons :  it  was  the  most  interesting 
occasion  of  the  kind  I  ever  witnessed — conducted  in  the  best  taste  and 
demonstrating  the  best  feelings.  "Washington  was  a  little  nervous  at  the 
prospect  of  a  speech;  but  the  real  feeling  of  the  moment  burst  forth, 
and  he  not  only  got  on  well,  but  with  real  eloquence. 

Among  the  many  genial  and  happy  speeches  made  on 
the  occasion,  that  of  John  Duer,  the  accomplished  scholar 
and  eloquent  advocate,  which  preceded  his  toast  to — 

"The  Memory  of  the  Dutch  Herodotus,  Diedrich  Knickerbocker," 

is  still  remembered  with  delight  by  those  who  had  the 
good  fortune  to  hear  it,  for  the  brilliancy  of  its  wit  and 
the  refinement  and  delicacy  of  its  humor. 


CHAPTEE  XVIL 

PETER  IKVINO  IN  PARIS. — AN  AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH  OF  HIMSELF. — PUB- 
LICATION  OF  THE  "  ALHAMBRA.1' — ITS  RECEPTION. — EXCURSION  TO  WASH 
INGTON. — THE  OLD  GENERAL. — HENRY  CLAY. — MEETING  WITH  COOPER,  THE 
TRAGEDIAN. — VISIT  TO  THE  HAUNTS  OF  RIP  VAN  WINKLE. — TOUR  TO  THE 
WHITE  MOUNTAINS. — AT  TARRYTOWN. — THE  BRAMIN. — SARATOGA  SPRINGS. 
— TRENTON  FALLS. 

HE  excitement  and  exhilaration  that  followed 
Mr.  Irving's  arrival  in  his  native  city  did  not 
soon  subside.  "  I  have  been  topsy-turvy  ever 
since,"  he  writes  to  Peter,  after  a  hurried  and  laborious, 
though  joyous  round  of  visits  and  congratulations  among 
his  friends ;  friends,  at  his  departure  "  clustered  in  neigh 
boring  contiguity  in  a  moderate  community,  now  scat 
tered  widely  asunder  over  a  splendid  metropolis."  New 
York  had  been  advancing  rapidly  in  wealth  and  popula 
tion  since  he  left,  and  at  this  date  numbered  more  than 
two  hundred  thousand  inhabitants.  "  I  have  repeatedly 
wished,  since  my  return,  that  you  could  be  here  with  me," 
he  writes  to  Peter,  whose  prolonged  exile  from  his  native 
land  now  threatened  to  be  final.  "The  mode  of  living, 
the  sources  of  quiet  and  social  enjoyment,  and  the  sphere 
of  friendly  and  domestic  pleasures,  are  improved  and 

230 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING.  231 

multiplied  to  a  degree  that  has  delightfully  surprised 
me." 

The  brother  to  whom  this  extract  was  addressed,  now 
sixty  years  of  age,  had  made  no  resolution  to  spend  the 
remainder  of  his  days  in  Europe,  and  in  a  letter  to  his 
friend  Beasley,  the  American  consul  at  Havre,  lying  be 
fore  me,  expresses  "a  great  desire  to  return  home," 
but,  he  adds,  "at  my  time  of  life,  and  in  my  state  of 
health,  and.  with  my  acquired  habits  and  my  aversion  to 
a  sea  voyage,  in  which  I  am  accustomed  to  suffer  so  much, 
I  do  not  think  a  return  probable."  He  was  now  living 
in  Paris,  whither  he  had  withdrawn  from  Havre  for  soli 
tude  and  regimen. 

In  a  letter  to  Washington,  dated  August  19,  he  gives 
this  sketch  of  his  life  in  the  great  metropolis :  — 

I  live  so  retired  in  the  midst  of  this  great  city,  in  consideration  of  my 
health,  that  I  know  little  of  what  is  passing,  and  see  but  few  of  our  many 
countrymen  who  resort  to  it.  Society  is  a  vortex,  and  I  am  obliged  to 
keep  resolutely  without  the  margin,  or  I  should  inevitably  be  engulphed. 
I  therefore  avoid  dinners  and  soirees,  and  abstain  as  far  as  possible  even 
from  visits.  By  pursuing  rigidly  this  course,  I  escape  the  indisposition  to 
which  I  seem  peculiarly  liable  ;  and  Paris  is  so  full  of  resource  for  a  lit 
erary  lounger,  in  its  libraries,  its  galleries  of  painting  and  sculpture,  its 
noble  institutions  in  every  department  of  science,  its  palaces  and  gardens, 
all  open  to  the  stranger,  and  its  places  of  amusement  all  easy  of  access, 
that  a  man  may  lead  here  the  life  of  a  hermit,  and  at  the  same  time  a  life 
of  luxurious  enjoyment.  I  have  also  punctual  correspondents  and  sup 
plies  of  newspapers  in  the  reading-room  and  in  my  own  apartment, 
through  the  attention  of  our  friend  Beasley,  so  that  I  can  supervise  the 


232  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

operations  of  the  great  world  as  I  would  overlook  a  game  of  chess.  We 
read  of  anchorites  who  retired  to  caves  and  cells,  amid  rocks  and  deserts, 
when  infirmities  or  other  causes  rendered  them  unsuitable  to  mingle  in 
society,  and  the  world  seems  to  have  sanctioned  and  approved  their  taste. 
I  feel  justified,  therefore,  in  my  more  cheerful  seclusion. 

The  passage  I  have  quoted  from  this  letter  of  Peter 
exhibits  the  character  of  the  invalid,  and  the  wise  and 
beautiful  spirit  of  philosophy  which,  in  the  midst  of 
his  ailments,  he  contrived  to  put  into  life  whatever  of 
comfort  and  enjoyment  it  could  be  made  to  yield. 

In  the  first  letter  written  to  his  brother  Washington, 
after  hearing  of  the  safe  arrival  of  the  vessel  at  New  York, 
Peter  mentions  that  a  French  translation  of  the  "  Alham- 
bra"  had  been  published  in  two  octavo  volumes,  and 
the  work  had  received  favorable  notices  in  several  of  the 
Parisian  journals,  from  which  he  extracts  some  para 
graphs.  It  would  appear  from  this  that  the  publication 
of  the  "Alhambra"  in  England,  and  possibly  its  trans 
lation  in  France,  preceded  its  appearance  in  America, 
where  it  was  issued  by  Messrs.  Carey  &  Lea  on  the  9th 
of  June,  three  weeks  after  the  author's  arrival  in  his  own 
country.  He  had  expected  that  its  publication  would 
precede  his  arrival,  and  it  is  not  easy  to  see  why  it  did 
not,  as  the  contract  of  his  agent,  Ebenezer  Irving,  granting 
to  Carey  &  Lea  "  a  right  to  print,  publish,  and  vend  five 
thousand  five  hundred  copies,"  bears  date  as  early  as  the 
17th  of  March.  The  time  required  for  disposing  of  these 
five  thousand  five  hundred  copies  was  not  to  exceed  the 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  233 

last  day  of  December  in  the  year  one  thousand  eight  hun 
dred  and  thirty-four.  After  the  printing,  if  the  work 
should  be  prepared  for  publication  from  stereotype  plates, 
the  author  was  to  have  the  privilege  of  taking  the  plates 
at  a  fair  value,  if  he  should  elect  to  do  so.  The  con 
sideration  was  three  thousand  dollars,  payable  in  three 
equal  notes,  bearing  date  on  the  day  of  publication,  in 
six,  nine,  and  twelve  months.  The  amount  paid  by  Col- 
burn  &  Bentley  for  the  absolute  copyright  of  the  work, 
as  has  been  before  stated,  was  one  thousand  guineas,  in 
six,  nine,  and  twelve  months. 

The  "  Alhambra  "  was  published  in  Philadelphia  in  two 
duodecimo  volumes.  I  give  two  extracts,  which  may 
serve  as  a  specimen  of  the  immediate  tone  of  criticism. 
The  first  I  take  from  a  Baltimore  paper  of  June  16,  seven 
days  after  the  publication  : — 

The  "Alhambra  "  displays  the  characteristic  excellences  of  Mr.  Irving 
— the  easy,  natural  narrative,  the  smooth  and  elegant  diction,  the  pithy 
humor.  The  grace  and  polish  of  his  style  are  generally  considered  Mr. 
Irving's  chief  merit.  A  too  high  value  cannot,  certainly,  be  put  upon 
these  qualities  in  a  book :  the  want  of  them  sinks  many  an  otherwise  good 
one.  But  still,  they  are  secondary.  It  may  even  be  said,  that  they  can 
not  exist  without  the  presence  of  more  substantial  qualities.  You  cannot 
give  a  high  polish  to  a  common  substance  :  an  intrinsic  fineness  of  grain 
is  indispensable  to  this ;  and  hence,  the  existence  of  a  high  degree  of  pol 
ish  on  the  exterior  denotes  internal  excellence  of  material.  Gracefulness, 
too,  is  inseparably  connected  with  something  internal ;  it  is  not  an  addi 
tion,  but  rather  an  emanation. 

When,  therefore,  the  style  of  Mr.  Irving  is  made  the  object  of  especial 


234  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

commendation,  it  must  be  recollected  that  the  qualities  of  style  are  de 
pendent  upon  the  qualities  of  the  matter  they  set  forth.  The  character 
of  the  style  of  an  author  is  ultimately  determined  by  that  of  his  thoughts 
and  feelings.  It  is  not  merely  to  peculiar  cultivation — to  the  study  of 
good  models,  however  serviceable  as  auxiliary  exercise— that  is  owing  the 
charm  of  Mr.  Irving's  style  ;  but  it  is  to  the  soundness  of  his  intellect— 
the  correctness  of  his  feelings— to  his  susceptibility  to  the  beautiful  and 
the  touching — his  accuracy  of  observation — to  the  harmony  of  his  mind 
with  nature  and  with  itself— in  short,  to  those  capabilities  whose  combined 
action  constitutes  his  individuality  as  a  man,  and  his  superiority  as  a 
writer. 

Under  the  light,  and  sometimes  fantastic  sketches  of  the  "  Alhambra," 
these  capabilities  are  all  manifested.  Like  the  slight  and  airy  fabric  of 
a  Gothic  spire,  the  volumes  have  a  solid  basis  :  their  most  marvelous  fic 
tions  rest  on  a  shrewd  observation  of  real  life.  Beneath  the  naif  narra 
tion  of  the  wildest  dreams  of  oriental  imagination,  there  flows  a  current 
of  good  sense ;  behind  some  of  the  most  comic  and  grotesque  scenes  there 
lurks  a  latent  wisdom. 

The  next  extract  I  take  from  the  "New  York  Mirror," 
of  June  23,  a  weekly  periodical  edited  by  George  P. 
Morris,  Theodore  S.  Fay,  and  Nathaniel  P.  Willis — names 
well  known  in  the  literary  world.  After  speaking  of  the 
serious  disadvantage  a  popular  writer  has  to  contend 
against  in  the  unmeaning  and  vague  expectations  elicited 
by  a  brilliant  fame,  and  alluding  to  the  "  Sketch  Book  " 
and  "Bracebridge  Hall"  as  the  greatest  enemies  his 
future  productions  would  ever  meet,  the  critic  pro 
ceeds  : — 

Yet  the  "  Tales  of  the  Alhambra"  are  brilliant  and  striking,  told  with 
the  most  delightful  grace  of  language,  and  addressed  to  the  imagination 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  235 

of  all  classes.  The  preliminary  sketches,  relating  to  the  author's  ram- 
blings  over  Spain,  his  approach  to  the  palace  from  which  the  volumes 
ierive  their  title,  his  drawings  of  character,  his  minute  household  obser 
vations,  his  moonlight  thoughts  on  that  interesting  scene,  his  reveries 
from  the  various  points  of  prospect,  are,  in  our  estimation,  really  deli 
cious.  Their  very  familiar  and  easy  simplicity  makes  them  so.  They 
are  impressed  in  every  page,  every  line,  every  word,  with  the  reality  of 
truth  and  the  glow  of  nature.  They  are  evidently  no  inventions,  but 
transcripts.  His  scenes  stretch  away  before  you ;  his  people  move,  look, 
and  walk  with  an  individuality  and  a  force  only  to  be  produced  by  the 
hand  o±  a  master.  Indeed,  these  opening  pages  are  full  of  those  delight 
fully  graphic  and  pleasing  delineations  peculiar  to  this  author,  and 
worthy  of  the  best  parts  of  the  "Sketch  Book." 

This  "  beautiful  Spanish  Sketch  Book,"  as  it  was  hap 
pily  designated  by  Prescott,  the  historian,  was  also  very 
favorably  noticed  in  the  "  Westminster  Review  "  for  July, 
in  an  article  which,  after  singling  out  portions  as  of  great 
felicity,  concludes  thus  : — 

The  whole  is  a  luxury,  but  of  an  extremely  refined  order.  As  a  work 
of  art,  it  has  few  rivals  among  modern  publications.  Were  a  lecture  to 
be  piven  on  the  structure  of  the  true  poetical  prose,  nowhere  would  it  be 
possible  to  find  more  luculent  examples.  Many  paragraphs,  and  even 
chapters,  want  but  the  voice  to  make  them  discourse  most  eloquent  music. 

The  "North  American  Review"  for  October,  which 
contained,  by  the  way,  a  review  of  Wheaton's  "  History  of 
the  Northmen,"  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Irving,  in  an  article 
written  by  the  distinguished  Edward  Everett,  remarks  at 
it :  "  The  subjects  are  all  wrought  up  with  great  felicity," 
"  and  are  among  the  most  finished  and  elegant  specimens 


236  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

of  style  to  be  found  in  the  language."  I  know  not 
whether  it  was  before  or  after  the  publication  of  the 
"Alhambra"  that  the  poet  Campbell  remarked  to  an 
American  gentleman,  from  whose  brother  I  have  the 
anecdote  :  "  Washington  Irving  has  added  clarity  to  the 
English  tongue." 

The  "  Alhambra "  was  dedicated  to  David  Wilkie,  the 
painter,  his  companion,  as  we  have  seen,  in  many  Spanish 
scenes,  though  he  did  not  accompany  him  to  Granada. 
When  it  appeared,  the  author  was  at  Washington,  to 
which  city  he  had  repaired  a  few  days  after  the  public 
dinner  which  had  welcomed  his  return,  to  make  his  bow 
to  the  head  of  the  Government,  and  settle  his  accounts 
as  charge.  He  wished  also  to  pass  a  little  time  with  the 
McLanes,  from  whom  he  had  received  the  most  pressing 
letters  of  invitation,  and  who  had  already  prepared  a 
room  for  him.  Mr.  McLane  was,  at  this  period  of  great 
political  discord  and  discontent,  Secretary  of  the  Treas 
ury  under  Andrew  Jackson,  who  was  soon  to  launch  his 
memorable  veto  at  the  bill  for  the  renewal  of  the  charter 
\l  of  the  Bank  of  the  United  States,  while  glancing  omi 
nously  at  the  imperial  State  of  South  Carolina,  preparing 
to  pass  her  ordinance  of  nullification,  accompanied  with 
threats  of  secession,  and  armed  hostility  and  defiance  to 
the  Government. 

My  journey  (he  writes  to  Peter,  from  Washington,  June  16)  was  rapid 
but  delightful,  being  for  the  greater  part  of  the  way  in  splendid  steam 
boats,  and  at  one  place  for  some  distance  on  a  railroad.     I  slept  in  Phila- 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  237 

delphia,  and  arrived  at  Washington  in  the  evening  of  the  second  day. 
Here  I  was  received  with  acclamation  by  the  McLanes,  large  and  small, 
and  have  now  spent  nearly  a  fortnight  with  them  in  the  most  delightful 
manner 

McLane  stands  the  fatigue  and  annoyance  of  his  station  much  better 
than  I  had  anticipated,  and  seems  generally  in  better  tone  of  spirits  than 
he  was  at  London. 

I  have  been  most  kindly  received  by  the  old  general,  with  whom  I  am 
much  pleased  as  well  as  amused.  As  his  admirers  say,  he  is  truly  an  old 
Roman — to  which  I  would  add,  ivith  a  little  dash  of  the  Greek :  for  I  sus 
pect  he  is  as  knowing,  as  I  believe  he  is  honest.  I  took  care  to  put  myself 
promptly  on  a  fair  and  independent  footing  with  him  ;  for,  in  expressing 
warmly  and  sincerely  how  much  I  had  been  gratified  by  the  unsought,  but 
most  seasonable  mark  of  confidence  he  had  shown  me,  when  he  hinted 
something  about  a  disposition  to  place  me  elsewhere,  I  let  him  know  em 
phatically  that  I  wished  for  nothing  more — that  my  whole  desire  was  to 
live  among  my  countrymen,  and  to  follow  my  usual  pursuits.  In  fact, 
I  am  persuaded  that  my  true  course  is  to  be  master  of  myself  and  of  my 
time.  Official  station  cannot  add  to  my  happiness  or  respectability,  and 
certainly  would  stand  in  the  way  of  my  literary  career. 

I  have  renewed  my  acquaintance  with  Clay,  who  looks  much  better 
than  I  had  expected  to  find  him,  and  very  much  like  his  former  self.  He 
tells  me  he  has  improved  greatly  in  health  since  he  was  dismissed  from 
office,  and  finds  that  it  is  good  for  man  as  well  as  beast  to  be  turned  out 
occasionally  to  grass.  Certainly  official  life  in  Washington  must  be 
harassing  and  dismal  in  the  extreme.* 

I  have  been  offered  public  dinners  at  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  but 
have  declined  them,  as  I  shall  all  further  ceremonials  of  the  kind ;  but 
the  general  manifestation  of  cordial  kindness  and  good-will  I  have  met  in 
all  places  and  at  all  hands,  since  my  arrival,  is  deeply  gratifying. 


*  Henry  Clay  had  been  Secretary  of  State  under  the  Presidency  of  John  Quincy 
Adams.  The  latter,  a  veteran  statesman,  retired  from  the  chair  of  statt-,  wns  now  serving 
his  country  as  a  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives.  Clay  was  in  tin;  Senate 


238  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

In  the  following  letter  to  his  brother  Peter,  we  have  an 
account  of  his  first  meeting  with  his  old  theatrical  friend, 
Thomas  A.  Cooper,  and  Mary  Fairlie,  his  wife,  the 
"  Sophy  Sparkle,"  as  before  noted,  of  "  Salmagundi : " — 

PHILADELPHIA,  June  21st. — I  have  only  time  to  write  a  few  hurried 
lines  at  long  intervals,  my  time  and  mind  are  so  much  engrossed  in  my 
present  hurried  existence.  I  left  Washington  a  few  days  since,  and 
stopped  a  couple  of  days  at  Baltimore,  where  I  was  so  much  pleased  that  I 
have  determined  to  pay  it  a  visit  of  some  space  in  the  autumn. 

This  morning  I  was  seated  at  breakfast  at  the  public  table  of  the 
Mansion  House,  when  Cooper  entered  to  take  his  repast.  I  recognized 
him  instantly  ;  indeed,  he  retains  much  of  his  shape  and  look,  though 
the  former  is  a  little  squarer  and  heavier.  I  immediately  accosted  him. 
He  took  his  seat  beside  me,  and  we  had  an  interesting  dish  of  chat.  He 
was  on  the  point  of  starting  for  his  home  at  Bristol,  and  invited  me  to 
pay  his  wife  and  family  a  visit,  and  return  in  the  afternoon  steamboat. 
So  said,  so  done.  I  took  my  seat  beside  him  in  a  light,  open  carriage, 
with  a  tall  stripling  in  the  uniform  of  a  cadet  of  West  Point,  whom  he 
introduced  as  his  eldest  son,  and  who  had  much  of  his  mother's  counte 
nance.  I  found  Mary  Fairlie  in  a  pretty  cottage  in  the  pretty  town  of 
Bristol,  on  the  banks  of  the  Delaware.  She  was  pale  and  thinner  than  I 
had  expected  to  find  her,  yet  still  retaining  much  of  her  former  self.  I 
passed  a  very  agreeable  and  interesting  day  there 

Mary  talked  much  about  you,  and,  like  all  your  old  friends,  expressed 
the  most  longing  desire  to  see  you  in  this  country.  After  dining  with 
them,  I  got  on  board  a  steamboat  that  was  passing  at  five  o'clock,  and 
was  whisked  up  to  this  city  in  an  hour  and  a  half. 

NEW  YORK,  June  28th. — Since  writing  the  foregoing,  I  saw  Cooper  act 
a  few  scenes  of  Macbeth,  before  a  very  thin  Philadelphia  audience.  He 
acted  much  as  formerly,  excepting  rather  more  slowly  and  heavily.  His 
form  is  still  fine  on  the  stage,  but  his  countenance  is  muzzy  and  indis 
tinct.  I  was  engaged  for  the  evening,  and  could  only  stay  to  the  end  of 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  239 

his  dagger  and  murder  scene.  1  should  think  his  Macbeth  equal  to  any 
they  have  at  present  in  England,  though  this  is  not  saying  much.  It  did 
not  relish  with  me,  however,  as  in  the  olden  time ;  but  a  thin  and  cold- 
hearted  audience  is  enough  to  dampen  the  spirit  of  a  performer,  and  ta 
chill  the  feelings  of  a  spectator. 

Charles  Joseph  Latrobe  and  the  Count  de  Pourtales, 
the  travelling  companions  mentioned  in  the  following 
letter,  made  the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Irving  at  Havre 
previous  to  his  embarkation,  and  were  his  fellow-passen 
gers  across  the  Atlantic.  They  also  accompanied  him, 
as  will  be  seen  hereafter,  in  his  roving  expedition  to 
the  prairies  of  the  far  West.  Latrobe  afterward  wrote  a 
work,  entitled  "  The  Rambler  in  North  America,"  which 
was  published  in  London  in  1835,  and  inscribed  to 
Washington  Irving,  "in  token  of  affectionate  esteem  and 
remembrance." 

[To  Peter  Irving,  at  Paris.] 

NEW  YORK,  Ju]y  9, 1838. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

.  .  .  .  I  wrote  to  you  some  days  since,  giving  an  account  of  my 
excursion  to  Washington.  Since  then  I  have  been  for  a  few  days  up  the 
Hudson.  I  set  off  in  company  with  James  Paulding,  Mr.  Latrobe,  and 
the  Count  de  Pourtales,  whom  I  have  found  most  agreeable  travelling 
companions.  We  left  New  York  about  seven  o'clock,  in  one  of  those 
great  steamboats  that  are  like  floating  hotels,  and  we  arrived  at  West 
Point  in  about  four  hours.  Gouverneur  Kemble's  barge,  with  an  awn 
ing,  was  waiting  for  us,  and  conveyed  us  across  the  river  into  a  deep 
cove  to  his  cottage,  which  is  buried  among  beautiful  forest  trees.  Here 
we  passed  three  or  four  hot  days  most  luxuriously,  lolling  on  the  grass 


240  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

under  the  trees,  and  occasionally  bathing  in  the  river.  You  would  be 
charmed  with  Gouverneur's  little  retreat ;  it  is  quite  a  bachelor's  Ely 
sium From  thence  we  took  steamboat,  and  in  a  few  hours 

were  landed  at  Catskill,  where  a  stage-coach  was  in  waiting,  and  whirled 
us  twelve  miles  up  among  the  mountains  to  a  fine  hotel  built  on  the  very 
brow  of  a  precipice,  and  commanding  one  of  the  finest  prospects  in  the 
world.  We  remained  here  until  the  next  day,  visiting  the  waterfall, 
glen,  etc.,  that  are  pointed  out  as  the  veritable  haunts  of  Rip  Van 
Winkle. 

This  was  the  author's  first  visit  to  the  scene  of  his  re 
nowned  story,  published  twelve  years  before.  "I  have 
little  doubt,"  writes  Peter  in  reply,  "but  some  curious 
travellers  will  yet  find  some  of  the  bones  of  his  dog,  if 
they  can  but  hit  upon  the  veritable  spot  of  his  long 
sleep."  The  letter  proceeds  : — 

The  wild  scenery  of  these  mountains  outdoes  all  my  conception  of  it. 
Leaving  the  hotel  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  we  took  steamboat 
the  same  evening,  and  landed  in  New  York  at  six  o'clock  the  next  morn 
ing,  after  enjoying  a  comfortable  night's  sleep.  In  fact,  one  appears  to 
be  wafted  from  place  to  place  in  this  country  as  if  by  magic. 

It  will  be  borne  in  mind  that  Peter  had  left  the  coun 
try  in  the  beginning  of  1809,  just  after  the  invention  of 
steamboats,  and  that  it  was  altogether  natural  in  Wash 
ington,  in  writing  to  him,  to  refer  constantly  to  the 
changes  and  improvements  that  had  taken  place  in  the 
country  during  the  lapse  of  twenty-three  years  in  which 
he  had  been  away.  At  the  close  of  the  letter  which  I 
have  quoted  in  part,  he  mentions  an  intended  excursion 


OP  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  241 

to  the  "White  Mountains  in  New  Hampshire,  which,  says 
Peter  in  reply,  "  are  altogether  strangers  to  me." 

Three  weeks  later,  when  he  had  just  returned  to  Tarry- 
town  from  a  visit  to  Boston  and  a  tour  to  the  White 
Mountains,  he  writes  to  Peter  (August  3) : — 

At  Boston  I  passed  five  days,  a  great  part  of  which  was  in  company 

with  Newton  and  his  friends Here  I  met  with  Mr.  Latrobe 

and  Count  Pourtales,  and  we  proceeded  on  our  tour  to  the  White  Moun 
tains.  The  journey  through  the  centre  of  New  Hampshire  was  delightful 
— the  roads  good,  the  inns  good,  and  the  country  beautiful  beyond  ex 
pectation.  A  fine  medley  of  lakes  and  forests,  and  bright,  pure  running 
streams.  At  an  inn  at  the  head  of  a  fine  lake  *  we  paused  for  part  of  two 
days.  On  my  return  to  the  inn  after  a  ramble,  I  observed  a  pleasant  face 
smiling  at  me  from  the  parlor  window.  I  entered,  and  who  should  it  be 
but  Mrs.  L ,  who,  with  our  worthy  Paris  friend,  of  apple-pie  mem 
ory,  and  their  children,  was  making  the  same  tour  with  myself.  I  was 
delighted,  as  you  may  suppose,  at  the  rencontre.  We  kept  together 
through  the  mountains,  when  Latrobe  and  Pourtales  left  me,  and  made  a 
tour  through  Vermont,  and  I  took  a  seat  in  L 's  carriage  and  pro 
ceeded  with  him  down  the  valley  of  the  Connecticut.  We  followed  the 
course  of  that  lovely  river  to  Springfield,  through  a  continued  succession 
of  enchanting  scenes  ;  when  I  parted  from  them,  and  made  the  best  of 
my  way  to  New  York.  After  passing  a  day  in  the  city,  which  is  desolate 
and  deserted  on  account  of  the  cholera,  I  came  off  with  the  Bramin  to 
this  place,  where  a  great  part  of  the  family  forces  is  collected.  Here  I  am 
in  a  little  cottage,  in  which  is  Mr.  Paris'  family,  and  a  number  of  the 
Bramin's  young  fry,  among  which  are  his  two  eldest  daughters,  whom  I 
have  now  seen  for  the  first  time. 

"The  Bramin"  was  his  brother  Ebenezer,  whom,  by 

*  Lake  Winnepisaugee,  or  Winnipisiogee. 

VOL.  n. — 16 


242  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

• 

some  whimsical  fancy,  lie  now  styles  by  this  designation, 
the  first  written  trace  of  it  which  I  meet.  "  Brom  "  and 
"  Captain  Greatheart  "  were  the  familiar  titles  by  which, 
in  earlier  days,  he  passed  among  his  brothers. 

On  the  4th  of  August  he  left  Tarry  town  for  Saratoga 
Springs,  where  he  was  joined  by  Latrobe  and  Pourtales, 
who  were  to  accompany  him  in  a  tour  he  was  then  medi 
tating  through  the  western  part  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
but  which  was  destined  to  extend  to  the  remote  West. 
Among  the  visitors  to  the  Springs  he  found  many  old 
friends,  with  whom  he  resumed  acquaintance.  "  It  quite 
delights  me,"  he  writes  to  Peter,  "  to  find  how  soon  I  fall 
into  the  current  of  old  intimacies,  and  forget  the  lapse  of 
years." 

From  the  Springs  he  proceeded  to  Trenton  Falls,  from 
whence  he  writes  to  Peter,  August  15 : — 

This  place  has  risen  into  notice  since  your  departure  from  America. 
The  falls  are  uncommonly  beautiful,  and  are  on  West  Canada  Creek,  the 
main  branch  of  the  Mohawk,  within  sixteen  miles  of  Utica. 

My  tour  thus  far  has  been  through  a  continued  succession  of  beautiful 
scenes  ;  indeed  the  natural  beauties  of  the  United  States  strike  me  infin 
itely  more  than  they  did  before  my  residence  in  Europe.  The  accom 
modations  for  travellers  also  have  improved  in  a  wonderful  degree.  In 
no  country  out  of  England  have  I  found  such  excellent  hotels,  and  such 
good  fare,  in  places  remote  from  cities.  I  am  now  in  a  clean,  airy,  well- 
furnished  hotel,  on  a  hill,  with  a  broad,  beautiful  prospect  in  front,  and 
forests  on  all  the  other  sides.  My  travelling  companions  and  myself  have 
the  house  to  ourselves.  Our  table  is  excellent,  and  we  are  enjoying  as 
pure  and  delightful  breezes  as  I  did  in  the  Alhambra.  The  murmur  of 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  243 

the  neighboring  falls  lulls  me  to  a  delicious  summer  nap,  and  in  the 
morning  and  evening  I  have  glorious  bathing  in  the  clear  waters  of  the 
little  river.  In  fact,  I  return  to  all  the  simple  enjoyments  of  old  times 
with  the  renovated  feelings  of  a  schoolboy,  and  have  had  more  hearty 
homebred  delights  of  the  kind  since  my  return  to  the  United  States,  than 
I  have  ever  had  in  the  same  space  of  time  in  the  whole  course  of  my  life. 

The  cholera — that  Asiatic  scourge  which  had  crossed 
the  Atlantic  in  June  to  Quebec — was  at  this  time  extend 
ing  about  the  country,  and  spreading  great  alarm,  so  that 
the  whole  course  of  business,  as  well  as  pleasure  was 
interrupted.  Many  of  the  towns  through  which  he  would 
have  to  pass  would  be  in  the  first  stage  of  panic  and  out 
break.  This  was  then  the  case  with  TJtica.  About  six 
teen  miles  from  Trenton  Falls,  where  his  letter  is  dated. 
"I  shall  leave  that  place  out  of  my  route,"  he  writes, 
"though  hitherto  I  have  never  avoided  the  malady,  nor 
shall  I  do  so  in  the  course  of  my  tour ;  simply  observing 
such  general  diet  and  habits  of  living  as  experience  has 
taught  me  are  best  calculated  to  keep  my  system  in 
healthful  tone." 


CHAPTEE  XYITL 

CHANGE  OF  TKAVELLING  PLANS. — LETTERS  TO  MBS.  PARIS.— TOUR  THROUGH 
OHIO. — VOYAGE  ON  THE  OHIO  AND  MISSISSIPPI. — BLACK  HAWK. — THE  PRAI 
RIES  OF  THE  MISSOURI. — A  LAUNCH  INTO  SAVAGE  LIFE. — LETTER  TO  PETER. 
—NEW  ORLEANS.  —  WILLIAM  C.  PRESTON.  — SOJOURN  AT  WASHINGTON.— 
LETTER  TO  JAMES  K.  PAULDING. — LETTERS  TO  GOUVERNEUR  KEMBLE  FROM 
WASHINGTON. — RETURN  TO  NEW  YORK. —  AGAIN  AT  BALTIMORE. — LETTER 
THENCE  TO  PETER  IRVING. — HERMAN  KNICKERBOCKER. — VISIT  TO  OLD  DUTCH 
VILLAGES  IN  THE  NEIGHBORHOOD  OF  THE  CATSKILL  MOUNTAINS. — A  KNICK 
ERBOCKER  EXCURSION  WITH  MR.  VAN  BUREN. — ABRIDGMENT  OF  "  COLUM 
BUS  "  RECOMMENDED  AS  A  CLASS-BOOK  FOR  THE  COMMON  SCHOOLS. 

HEN  Mr.  Irving  set  out  on  his  journey,  he  was 
meditating  a  tour  in  the  western  part  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  and  in  Ohio,  Kentucky,  and 
Tennessee.  In  the  following  letter  we  find  him  changing 
his  purpose,  and  embarking  in  an  extensive  expedition 
into  the  far  West,  beyond  the  bounds  of  civilization,  in 
company  with  one  of  the  three  Commissioners  appointed 
by  the  Government  to  treat  with  deputations  of  different 
tribes  of  the  Indians.  The  Commissioners  were  to  ren 
dezvous  at  Fort  Gibson,  seven  hundred  miles  up  the 
Arkansas.  It  was  an  opportunity  to  see  the  aborigines  of 
America  in  their  own  wild  territory,  too  tempting  to  be 

resisted. 

244 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING.  245 

[To  Mrs.  Paris,  at  New  York.] 

CINCINNATI,  September  2, 1832. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  : — 

You  have  no  doubt  heard  from  our  brother  E.  I.  of  the  alteration,  or 
rather  extension  of  my  travelling  plans,  in  consequence  of  which  I  shall 
accompany  the  Commissioners  on  their  expedition  into  the  territories  west 
of  the  Mississippi,  to  visit  and  hold  conferences  with  the  emigrating  In 
dian  tribes.  The  Commissioner,  Mr.  Ellsworth,  who  invited  me  to  this 
journey,  and  whom  I  accidentally  met  on  board  of  a  steamboat  on  Lake 
Erie,  is  a  very  gentlemanly  and  amiable  person,  and  an  excellent  travel 
ling  companion.  I  have  also  my  old  fellow-travellers,  Mr.  Latrobe  and 
the  young  Count  Pourtales,  who  are  delighted  with  the  idea  of  travelling 
on  horseback  through  the  forests  and  prairies,  camping  in  tents  at  nights, 
and  hunting  deer,  buffaloes,  and  wild  turkeys.  We  have  made  a  very 
interesting  tour  through  Ohio.  We  landed  at  Ashtabula,  a  small  place  on 
the  shore  of  Lake  Erie.  Prom  thence  we  proceeded  along, the  ridge  road 
parallel  to  the  lake  to  Cleveland,  and  thence  through  the  centre  of  the 
State  to  this  city,  where  we  arrived  last  evening.  I  have  been  greatly  de 
lighted  with  the  magnificent  woodland  scenery  of  Ohio,  and  with  the 
exuberant  fertility  of  the  soil,  which  will  eventually  render  this  State  a 
perfect  garden  spot.  When  the  forests  are  cleared  away,  however,  the 
country  will  be  a  vast  plain,  diversified  here  and  there  by  a  tract  of  roll 
ing  hills ;  and  nothing  will  compensate  for  the  loss  of  those  glorious  trees, 
which  now  present  the  sublime  of  vegetation. 

In  the  course  of  our  journey  we  diverged  from  the  direct  route,  to  visit 
one  of  those  stupendous  and  mysterious  Indian  antiquities  which  are 
among  the  wonders  of  the  land.  Immense  ramparts  and  mounds  of 
earth  extending  for  miles,  that  must  have  required  the  united  labors  of  a 
vast  multitude,  and  have  been  intended  to  protect  some  important  city  or 
some  populous  region.  These  works  are  now  in  the  depths  of  thick 
forests,  overgrown  with  trees  that  are  evidently  the  growth  of  centuries. 
Nothing  relative  to  them  remains  in  Indian  tradition,  nor  is  the  construe- 


246  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

tion  of  such  vast  works  in  any  way  compatible  with  the  habits  and  cus 
toms  of  any  of  our  aboriginal  tribes.  You  may  imagine  what  a  subject 
for  speculation  and  reverie  the  sight  of  such  monuments  presents  in  the 
silent  bosom  of  the  wilderness. 

We  shall  leave  Cincinnati  very  probably  the  day  after  to-morrow.  In 
deed,  1  remain  as  brief  a  time  as  possible  in  towns  and  cities,  for  the 
attentions  I  meet  with  are  often  rather  irksome  and  embarrassing  than 
,/  otherwise.  I  went  into  the  theatre,  last  evening,  to  see  the  acting  of  Mrs. 
Drake,  with  which  I  was  wonderfully  delighted,  when,  to  my  astonishment 
and  dismay,  the  manager  came  out  between  the  acts,  and  announced  that 
1  was  in  the  house.  As  you  partake  of  the  nervous  sensibility  of  the 
family,  you  may  conceive  how  I  felt  on  finding  all  eyes  thus  suddenly 
turned  upon  me.  I  have  since  had  a  note  from  the  manager,  requesting 
me  to  visit  the  theatre  on  Tuesday  evening,  and  to  permit  him  to 
announce  it.  I  have  declined  it,  of  course,  and  have  induced  my  com 
panions  to  hasten  our  departure,  that  I  may  escape  from  all  further 
importunities  of  the  kind. 

I  hope  my  countrymen  may  not  think  I  slight  their  proffers  of  kindness 
and  distinction ;  no  one  can  value  their  good  opinion  more  highly  ;  but  I 
have  a  shrinking  aversion  from  being  made  an  object  of  personal  noto 
riety,  that  I  cannot  conquer 

I  hope  you  will  take  care  of  my  little  man  ^ohn  during  my  absence. 
See  that  he  is  well  clad,  well  schooled,  and  well  drilled.  Keep  him  with 
you,  if  he  is  useful  to  you,  and  let  brother  E.  I.  charge  to  my  account  all 
expenses  for  his  maintenance,  clothing,  etc. 


The  "little  man"  alluded  to  was  a  German  lad  of 
about  eleven  years  of  age,  who  crossed  the  water  with 
Mr.  Irving.  The  latter  conceived  a  liking  for  him  on 
shipboard,  and  took  him  in  his  employ.  He  remained 
with  him  for  three  years,  when  he  went  with  his  father 
to  try  his  fortunes  in  Illinois,  where,  with  a  loan  from 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  247 

Mr.  Irving  of  one  hundred  dollars,  he  entered  eighty 
acres  of  land.  Some  year  afterward  he  made  a  visit  to 
Sunnyside,  the  father  of  sundry  children,  and  with  the 
hundred  dollars  advanced  to  him  by  Mr.  Irving  trans 
muted,  by  Western  alchemy,  into  seventy  thousand. 


[To  Mrs.  Paris.} 

ST.  Louis,  Mo.,  September  13, 1832. 
MY  DEAR  SISTER  : — 

I  wrote  to  you  from  Cincinnati,  which  place  I  left  in  a  steamboat  on 
the  3d  inst.,  and  arrived  the  next  day  at  Louisville,  Ky.  There  we  em 
barked  in  another  steamboat,  and  continued  down  the  Ohio  to  its  conflu 
ence  with  the  Mississippi,  when  we  ascended  the  latter  river  to  this  place, 
where  we  arrived  late  last  night.  Our  voyage  was  prolonged  by  our  re 
peatedly  running  aground  in  the  Ohio  from  the  lowness  of  the  water. 
Twice  we  remained  aground  for  the  greater  part  of  twenty-four  hours. 
The  last  evening  of  our  voyage  we  were  nearly  run  down  and  sent  to  the 
bottom  by  a  huge  steamboat,  the  Yellow  Stone,  which  came  surging  down 
the  river  under  the  impetus  of  "high  pressure"  and  a  rapid  current. 
Fortunately  our  pilot  managed  the  helm  so  as  to  receive  the  blow  ob 
liquely,  which  tore  away  part  of  a  wheel,  and  staved  in  all  the  upper 
works  of  one  side  of  our  boat.  We  made  shift  to  limp  through  the  re 
mainder  of  our  voyage,  which  was  but  about  twelve  miles.  I  have  been 
charmed  with  the  grand  scenery  of  these  two  mighty  rivers.  We  have 
had  splendid  weather  to  see  them  in — golden  sunshiny  days,  and  serene 
moonlight  nights.  The  magnificence  of  the  Western  forests  is  quite  be 
yond  my  anticipations;  such  gigantic  trees,  rising  like  stupendous  coi- 
umns — and  then  the  abundance  of  flowers  and  flowering  shrubs 

I  am  writing  lato  at  night,  and  with  difficulty,  for  1  have  unluckily 
strained  the  fingers  of  my  right  hand  a  few  days  since,  so  that  I  can 
scarcely  hold  a  pea.  Good  night. 


248  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

September  16^. — Since  writing  the  foregoing,  I  have  been  to  Fort 
Jefferson,  about  nine  miles  from  this,  to  see  the  famous  Black  Hawk,  and 
his  fellow  chiefs,  taken  in  the  recent  Indian  war.  This  redoubtable  Black 
Hawk,  who  makes  such  a  figure  in  our  newspapers,  is  an  old  man,  up 
ward  of  seventy,  emaciated  and  enfeebled  by  the  sufferings  he  has  expe 
rienced,  and  by  a  touch  of  cholera.  He  has  a  small,  well-formed  head, 
with  an  aquiline  nose,  a  good  expression  of  eye  ;  and  a  physician  present, 
who  is  given  to  craniology,  perceived  the  organ  of  benevolence  strongly 
developed,  though  I  believe  the  old  chieftain  stands  accused  of  many 
cruelties.  His  brother-in-law,  the  prophet,  is  a  strong,  stout  man,  and 
much  younger.  He  is  considered  the  most  culpable  agent  in  foment 
ing  the  late  disturbance  ;  though  I  find  it  extremely  difficult,  even  when 
so  near  the  seat  of  action,  to  get  at  the  right  story  of  these  feuds  between 
the  white  and  the  red  men,  and  my  sympathies  go  strongly  with  the 
latter. 

[To  Mrs.  Paris.] 

INDEPENDENCE,  Mo.,  September  26, 1832. 

MY  DEAE  SISTER  : — 

We  arrived  at  this  place  on  the  day  before  yesterday,  after  nine  days' 
travelling  on  horseback  from  St.  Louis.  Our  journey  has  been  a  very 
interesting  one,  leading  us  across  fine  prairies  and  through  noble  forests, 
dotted  here  and  there  by  farms  and  log-houses,  at  which  we  found  rough 
but  wholesome  and  abundant  fare,  and  very  civil  treatment.  Many  parts 
of  these  prairies  of  the  Missouri  are  extremely  beautiful,  resembling  culti 
vated  countries,  embellished  with  parks  and  groves,  rather  than  the  sav 
age  rudeness  of  the  wilderness. 

Yesterday  I  was  out  on  a  deer  hunt  in  the  vicinity  of  this  place,  which 
led  me  through  some  scenery  that  only  wanted  a  castle,  or  a  gentleman's 
seat  here  and  there  interspersed,  to  have  equaled  some  of  the  most  cele 
brated  park  scenery  of  England. 

The  fertility  of  all  this  Western  country  is  truly  astonishing.    The  soil 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  249 

is  like  that  of  a  garden,  and  the  luxuriance  and  beauty  of  the  forests  ex 
ceed  any  that  I  have  seen.  We  have  gradually  been  advancing,  however, 
toward  rougher  and  rougher  life,  and  are  now  at  a  little  straggling  fron 
tier  village,  that  has  only  been  five  years  in  existence.  From  hence,  in 
the  course  of  a  day  or  two,  we  take  our  departure  southwardly,  and  shall 
soon  bid  adieu  to  civilization,  and  encamp  at  night  in  our  tents.  My 
health  is  good,  though  I  have  been  much  affected  by  the  change  of  cli 
mate,  diet,  and  water  since  my  arrival  in  the  West.  Horse  exercise, 
however,  always  agrees  with  me.  I  enjoy  my  journey  exceedingly,  and 
look  for  still  greater  gratification  in  the  part  which  is  now  before  me, 
which  will  present  much  greater  wildness  and  novelty.  The  climax  will 
be  our  expedition  with  the  Osages  to  their  hunting-grounds,  and  the  sight 
of  a  buffalo  hunt. 

[To  Mrs.  Paris.'] 

FOBT  GIBSON,  ABK.,  October  9, 1832. 
MY  DEAR  SISTER  : 

I  arrived  here  yesterday  afternoon  in  excellent  health,  after  ten  or 
eleven  days'  travel  from  Independence,  from  whence  I  last  wrote  to  you. 
Our  journey  has  lain  almost  entirely  through  the  vast  prairies,  or  open 
grassy  plains  which  extend  over  all  these  frontiers,  diversified  occasionally 
by  beautiful  groves,  and  deep  fertile  bottoms  along  the  streams  of  water. 
We  have  encamped  almost  every  night,  excepting  when  we  stopped  at  the 
Missionary  establishments  scattered  here  and  there  in  this  vast  wilder 
ness.  The  weather  has  been  beautiful.  We  have  encountered  but  one 
rainy  night  and  one  thunder  storm.  I  have  found  sleeping  in  a  tent  a 
very  sweet  and  healthy  kind  of  repose,  and  have  been  in  fine  condition 
ever  since  I  left  Independence.  It  is  now  upward  of  three  weeks  since  I 
left  St.  Louis  and  took  to  travelling  on  horseback,  and  it  has  agreed  with 
me  admirably.  On  arriving  at  this  post,  I  found  that  a  mounted  body  of 
rangers,  nearly  a  hundred,  had  set  off  two  days  before  to  make  a  wide 
tour  to  the  West  and  South,  through  the  wild  hunting  countries,  by  way 
of  protecting  the  friendly  Indians  who  have  gone  to  the  buffalo  hunting, 


250 

and  to  overawe  the  Pawnee  Indians,  who  are  the  wandering  Arabs,  .of  the 
West,  and  continually  on  the  maraud.  Colonel  Ellsworth  and  myself 
have  determined  to  set  off  to-morrow  morning  in  the  track  of  this  party. 
"We  shall  be  escorted  by  a  dozen  or  fourteen  horsemen,  so  that  we  shall 
have  nothing  to  apprehend  from  any  straggling  gang  of  Pawnees ;  and 
we  shall  have  three  or  four  Indians  with  us  as  guides  and  interpreters, 
besides  the  servants  that  have  accompanied  us  hitherto.  A  couple  of  Creek 
Indians  have  been  dispatched  by  the  commander  of  this  fort  to  overtake 
the  party  of  rangers,  and  order  them  to  await  our  coming  up  with  them, 
which  we  expect  to  effect  in  the  course  of  three  days ;  and  to  find  them 

in  the  buffalo  range  on  the  Little  Red  Eiver I  am  in  hopes 

that  we  may  be  able  to  fall  in  with  some  wandering  band  of  Pawnees  in 
a  friendly  manner,  as  I  have  a  great  desire  to  see  some  of  that  warlike 
and  vagrant  race.  We  shall  have  a  Pawnee  captive  woman  with  us  as  an 
interpreter. 

You  see  I  am  completely  launched  in  savage  life,  and  am  likely  to  con 
tinue  in  it  for  some  weeks  to  come.  I  am  extremely  excited  and  inter 
ested  by  this  wild  country,  and  the  wild  scenes  and  people  by  which  I  am 
surrounded. 

I  am  uncertain  whether  Mr.  Latrobe  and  Pourtales  will  accompany  me 
on  this  further  tour.  I  left  them  about  forty  miles  behind,  at  one  of  the 
agencies,  and  they  have  not  yet  arrived  here,  though  they  probably  will 
in  the  course  of  the  day.  I  am  writing  in  great  haste,  having  all  my 
preparations  to  make. 

[To  Mrs.  Paris.] 

GREBNPOINT,  near  the  RED  FORK  OP  THE  ARKANSAS, 

October,  18,  1832. 
MY  DEAR  SlSTEE  : — 

I  wrote  to  you  when  about  to  start  from  Fort  Gibson,  under  an  escort, 
to  join  the  exploring  party  of  rangers.  We  came  up  with  them,  in  the 
course  of  three  or  four  days,  on  the  banks  of  the  Arkansas.  The  whole 
troop  crossed  that  river  the  day  before  yesterday,  some  on  rafts,  some 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  251 

fording.  Our  own  immediate  party  have  a  couple  of  half-breed  Indians 
as  servants,  who  understand  the  Indian  customs.  They  constructed  a 
kind  of  boat  or  raft  out  of  a  buffalo  skin,  on  which  Mr.  Ellsworth  and 
myself  crossed  at  several  times,  on  the  top  of  about  a  hundredweight  of 
luggage — an  odd  way  of  crossing  a  river  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide. 

We  are  now  on  the  borders  of  the  Pawnee  country,  a  region  untrav- 
ersed  by  white  men,  except  by  solitary  trappers.  We  are  leading  a  wild 
life,  depending  upon  game,  such  as  deer,  elk,  bear,  for  food,  encamping 
on  the  borders  of  brooks,  and  sleeping  in  the  open  air  under  trees,  with 
outposts  stationed  to  guard  us  against  any  surprise  by  the  Indians. 

We  shall  probably  be  three  weeks  longer  on  this  tour.  Two  or  three 
days  bring  us  into  the  buffalo  range,  where  we  shall  have  grand  sport 
hunting.  We  shall  also  be  in  the  range  of  wild  horses. 

I  send  this  letter  by  a  party  of  the  men  who  have  to  return  to  escort 
two  or  three  sick  men,  who  have  the  measles  and  fevers.  The  rest  of  the 
camp  is  well,  and  our  own  party  in  high  spirits.  I  was  never  in  finer 
health,  or  enjoyed  myself  more,  and  the  idea  of  exploring  a  wild  country 
of  this  magnificent  character  is  very  exciting. 

I  write  at  the  moment  of  marching.     The  horses  are  all  saddled,  and 
the  bugle  sounds  for  mounting.     God  bless  you.     I  shall  not  have  another 
opportunity  of  writing  until  I  return  to  the  garrison  of  Fort  Gibson. 
We  are  far  beyond  any  civilized  habitation,  or  even  an  Indian  village. 
Love  to  all.     Your  brother, 

WASHINGTON  IEVINO. 

[To  Mrs.  Paris.] 

MONTGOMERY'S  POINT,  MOUTH  OF  THE  ARKANSAS,  | 

MISSISSIPPI  RIVER,  November  16,  1832.  j 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  : — 

I  arrived  safe  and  sound  at  Fort  Gibson  about  a  week  since,  after 
thirty-one  days'  tour  in  the  wilderness  west  of  the  Territory.  Our  tour 
was  a  very  rough  but  a  very  interesting  and  gratifying  one,  part  of  the 
time  through  an  unexplored  country.  We  led  a  complete  hunter's  life, 


252  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

subsisting  upon  the  produce  of  the  chase,  camping  by  streams  or  pools, 
and  sleeping  on  skins  and  blankets  in  the  open  air;  but  we  were  all  in 
high  health ;  and,  indeed,  nothing  is  equal  to  such  a  campaign,  to  put  a 

man  in  full  health  and  spirits We  got  out  of  flour,  salt, 

sugar,  etc.,  and  had  to  eat  our  meat  without  bread  or  seasoning,  and 
drink  our  coffee  without  sweetening.  Our  horses  were  tired  down  by  the 
pasturage  being  withered,  and  by  their  having  been  coursed  after  buffa 
loes  and  wild  horses.  Some  of  them  had  to  be  left  behind ;  and  those  of 
us  who  brought  back  our  horses  to  the  fort,  had  to  walk,  and  lead  them 
for  the  greater  part  of  the  three  or  four  last  days.*  The  very  evening  of 
my  arrival  at  Fort  Gibson  a  steamboat  came  up  the  river,  and  was  to  re 
turn  down  it  the  next  day.  I  took  advantage  of  it,  and  embarked,  and 
have  just  put  my  foot  on  shore  at  this  place  this  morning.  The  steam 
boat  proceeds  down  the  Mississippi,  in  the  course  of  an  hour  or  two,  for 
New  Orleans,  and  I  think  of  continuing  on  in  her,  to  be  governed  in  my 
future  movements  by  the  reports  I  shall  receive  of  the  health  of  New  Or 
leans,  and  the  facilities  of  proceeding  from  that  place  on  my  route  home 
ward,  where  I  am  now  very  anxious  to  arrive 

He  continued  down  the  Mississippi  in  the  steamboat 
in  which  he  had  descended  the  Arkansas  to  New  Or 
leans,  where,  he  writes  to  Peter  from  Washington, — 

I  passed  a  few  days  very  pleasantly.  It  is  one  of  the  most  motley  and 
amusing  places  in  the  United  States— a  mixture  of  America  and  Europe. 
The  French  part  of  the  city  is  a  counterpart  of  some  provincial  French 
town  ;  and  the  levee,  or  esplanade  along  the  river,  presents  the  most 
whimsical  groups  of  people  of  all  nations,  castes,  and  colors — French, 
Spanish,  half-breeds,  Creoles,  mulattoes,  Kentuckians,  etc.,  etc.  I  passed 

*  In  a  letter  to  Peter,  he  mentions  that  though  they  had  an  occasional  alarm,  they  passed 
through  the  country  without  seeing  a  single  Pawnee,  "I  brought  off,  however,"  he 
adds,  "  the  tongue  of  a  buffalo,  of  my  own  shooting,  as  a  trophy  of  my  hunting,  and  am 
determined  to  rest  my  renown  as  a  hunter  upon  that  exploit,  and  never  to  descend  to 
meaner  game."  The  particulars  of  this  feat  will  be  found  in  his  Tour  on  the  Prairies. 
published  in  1835. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  253 

a  couple  of  days  with  Judge  M ,  Mrs.  McLane's  brother,  on  his 

sugar  plantation,  just  at  the  time  they  were  making  sugar. 

From  New  Orleans  I  set  off  in  the  mail  stage,  through  Mobile,  and  pro 
ceeded  through  Alabama,  Georgia,  South  and  North  Carolina,  and  Vir 
ginia,  to  this  place — a  long  and  rather  dreary  journey,  travelling  fre 
quently  day  and  night,  and  much  of  the  road  through  pine  forests  in 
the  winter  season.  At  Columbia,  the  capital  of  South  Carolina,  I  sought 
our  friend  Preston,  who  resides  in  that  place,  is  a  member  of  the  Legis 
lature,  and  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  milliners I  passed  a 

day  most  cordially  with  him,  talking  and  laughing  over  old  times,  and 
recalling  the  scenes  and  personages  of  our  rambles. 

[This  was  William  C.  Preston,  the  brilliant  orator,  formerly  travelling 
companion  of  himself  and  Peter  in  Scotland  and  England.] 

Preston  spoke  of  you  with  the  most  lively  regard,  and  called  to  mind  a 
host  of  your  pleasantries.  I  dined  with  him  at  Governor  Hamilton's,  the 
nullifying  Governor,  whom  I  had  known  when  a  young  man  at  New 
York,  and  who  is  a  perfect  gentleman,  but  a  Hotspur  in  politics.  It  is 
really  lamentable  to  see  such  a  fine  set  of  gallant  fellows  as  these  leading 
milliners  are,  so  madly  in  the  wrong. 

Governor  Hamilton  had  just  then  transmitted  to  the 
Legislature  of  South  Carolina  his  message,  inclosing  the 
nullifying  edict  of  the  convention  of  its  people,  and  in 
voking  the  cooperation  of  the  two  branches  to  carry  into 
effect  this  measure  of  peaceable  redress,  for  he  claimed  it 
to  be  essentially  of  a  pacific  character.  When  Mr.  Ir 
ving  took  leave,  the  Governor  gave  him  a  warm  invita 
tion  to  "  come  soon  "  and  see  him  again.  "  O  yes !  "  was 
the  playful  but  suggestive  reply;  "I'll  come  with  the 
. first  troops" 

Mr.  Irving  arrived  in  Washington  just  before  the  Presi- 


254  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

dent  issued  his  proclamation  of  December  10",  generally 
understood  to  be  the  production  of  his  distinguished 
Secretary  of  State,  Edward  Livingston,  containing  an  able 
exposition  of  the  nullifying  question,  and  of  the  Constitu 
tion  of  the  country,  and  furnishing  to  South  Carolina  a 
significant  intimation  of  the  fallacy  of  any  hopes  of  an 
nulling  peaceably  within  her  limits  a  law  of  the  General 
Government.  He  was  hastening  back  from  his  prolonged 
tour  to  pass  a  Christmas  among  his  family  and  friends, 
and  had  intended  to  stop  but  two  or  three  days  in  Wash 
ington  ;  yet  he  found  it  such  "  an  interesting  place  to  see 
public  characters,"  and  the  "  crisis "  so  "  interesting," 
that  he  was  induced  to  linger  here,  with  the  exception  of 
a  brief  excursion  to  Baltimore,  during  the  remaining  term 
of  Congress,  a  period  of  three  months.  "  I  am  v^ry  pleas 
antly  situated,"  he  writes.  "  I  have  a  very  snug,  cheery, 
cosy  room  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  McLane's, 
and  take  my  meals  at  his  house,  and  in  fact,  make  it  my 
home.  I  have  thus  the  advantage  of  a  family  circle  (and 
that  a  delightful  one)  and  the  precious  comfort  of  a  little 
bachelor  retreat  and  sanctum  sanctorum,  where  I  can  be 
as  lonely  and  independent  as  I  please." 

I  give  some  letters  and  passages  of  letters  written  dur 
ing  this  interval : — 

[To  Peter  Irving.] 

McLane  is  hard  worked  by  his  office,  but  it  is  a  kind  of  work  that 
agrees  with  him,  and  he  is  generally  in  better  health,  looks,  and  spirits 
than  he  was  at  London. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  255 

I  found  Gouverneur  Kemble  here,  to  my  great  surprise.  He  had  busi 
ness  at  the  War  Department,  being  a  great  contractor  for  founding  can 
non,  etc.  He  has  been  consulted,  also,  by  the  Committee  of  Ways  and* 
Means,  of  which  Gulian  C.  Verplanck  is  chairman,  in  the  formation  of  a 
bill  for  the  reduction  of  the  tariff.  I  hope  such  a  bill  may  be  devised 
and  carried  as  will  satisfy  the  moderate  part  of  the  nullifiers ;  but  I  con 
fess  I  see  so  many  elements  of  sectional  prejudice,  hostility,  and  selfish 
ness  stirring  and  increasing  in  activity  and  acrimony  in  this  country, 
that  I  begin  to  doubt  strongly  of  the  long  existence  of  the  general 
Union. 

The  following  is  addressed  to  his  old  friend  and  early 
literary  associate,  James  K.  Paulding,  then  Navy  Agent 
at  New  York,  whom  some  were  seeking  to  displace,  from 
his  want  of  due  subserviency  to  the  behests  of  party. 

WASHINGTON,  January  3,  1833. 
MY  DEAR  PAULDING  : — 

I  have  just  returned  from  an  interview  with  the  President  on  the  sub 
ject  of  the  rumor  of  your  removal  from  office.  He  assured  me  it  was  the 
first  word  he  had  heard  on  the  subject ;  and  had  you  heard  the  terms  in 
which  he  spoke  of  your  official  conduct,  you  would  feel  not  merely  secure 
of  your  office,  but  proud  of  holding  it,  guaranteed  by  such  sentiments. 
The  more  I  see  of  this  old  cock  of  the  woods,  the  more  I  relish  his  game 
qualities. 

As  to  rumors,  they  are  as  numerous  as  they  are  absurd.  Gouverneur's 
particular  friend  Bankhead,  the  British  charge  d'affaires,  has  just  re 
turned  from  New  York,  very  gravely  charged  with  one  concerning  my- 
.self  ;  namely,  that  I  was  to  marry  Miss ,  and  receive  the  appoint 
ment  of  Postmaster  of-  New  York  !  Now  either  the  lady  or  the  office 
woxild  be  a  sufficient  blessing  for  a  marrying  or  an  office-craving  man  ; 
but  God  help  me  !  I  should  be  as  much  bothered  with  the  one  as  with 
the  other. 


256  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

"With  affectionate  regards  to  Gertrude  and  the  family,  I  am,  my  deal 
James,  yours  ever, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

The  following  is  in  reply  to  a  letter  of  Kemble,  invok 
ing  his  aid  in  inducing  Leslie  to  accept  the  offer  of  the 
Professorship  of  Design,  at  the  Military  Academy  at  West 
Point  :— 

[To  Gouverneur  KemUe.~\ 

WASHINGTON,  January  18,  1833. 
MY  DEAR  KEMBLE  : — 

.  .  .  .  I  will  write  to  Leslie,  and  state  to  him  what  advantages  he 
will  have  in  fixing  himself  at  West  Point  ;  though  I  shall  cautiously  re 
frain  from  giving  any  advice  or  using  any  persuasion  in  the  matter.  It 
is  a  delicate  and  responsible  thing  to  influence  a  man  in  a  measure  that 
is  to  change  his  whole  situation  and  course  of  life.  I  think  it  doubtful 
whether  he  will  accept.  For  my  own  part,  few  things  would  give  me 
equal  pleasure  to  having  him  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  and  in  my 
neighborhood.*  .... 

Charles  Kemble  and  his  talented  daughter  are  here,  turning  the  heads 
of  young  and  old.  I  find  they  became  very  sociable  with  you,  and  speak 
of  you  with  great  regard. 

God  bless  you,  my  dear  Kemble.     I  hope  to  be  with  you  before  long. 

Yours  ever, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

A  week  later  he  writes  to  the  same  correspondent  from 
Washington. 

*  Leslie  did  accept  the  position,  but  only  to  retain  it  for  the  brief  period  of  six  months, 
when  lie  returned  to  England. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  257 

MY  DEAR  KEMBLE  : — 

.  .  .  .  An  attempt  is  making  to  bring  the  subject  of  the  tariff  to  a 
close  in  the  House  this  week,  by  night  sessions.  I  feel  extremely  doubt 
ful,  however,  of  the  bill  being  carried.  The  braggadocio  speeches  and 
proceedings  of  South  Carolina  have  raised  a  spirit  of  indignation  among 
many  who  would  otherwise  be  inclined  to  redress  the  grievances  com 
plained  of,  and  this  feeling  is  taken  advantage  of  by  those  interested  for 
the  manufacturers. 

I  understand  that  Governor  Hayne  is  making  every  preparation  for 
warlike  measures.  I  hope  and  trust  that  this  will  all  turn  out  a  game  of 
brag  ;  at  any  rate,  the  measures  taken  by  the  General  Government  are 
such  as  to  entangle  the  nulliiiers  in  all  kinds  of  financial  and  fiscal  diffi 
culties,  and  to  make  any  act  of  hostility  plainly  proceed  from  them 
selves. 

I  think  I  shall  remain  here  a  few  days  longer,  to  hear  the  outbreaking 
which  will  take  place  on  Monday  next,  and  which  must  call  all  the  cham 
pions  of  the  different  creeds  into  the  field,  and  elevate  the  standards  of 
the  new  parties  that  are  to  spring  out  of  this  great  conflict. 
I  am,  my  dear  Kemble,  yours  ever, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

The  "  outbreaking  "  was  to  take  place  on  a  discussion 
of  certain  resolutions  offered  by  John  C.  Calhoun,  of 
South  Carolina,  declaratory  of  the  powers  of  the  Govern 
ment  and  the  States,  and  involving  the  question  whether 
a  single  State  had  power  to  annul  the  laws  enacted  by  a 
whole  nation.  How  deeply  it  interested  him,  we  find 
from  the  following  letter  to  his  brother  Peter,  written 
after  his  return  to  his  native  city,  from  which  he  had 
been  absent  more  than  seven  months,  seeing,  during 
that  period,  more  of  his  own  country  and  its  prominent 

characters,  than  most  persons  would  see  in  a  lifetime. 
VOL.  n. — 17 


258  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

NKW  YORK,  April  1, 1833. 

MY  DEAE  BEOTHEE  : — 

I  am  shocked,  when  I  look  back  upon  the  long  time  I  have  suffered  to 
elapse  without  writing  to  you  ;  but,  indeed,  indeed  I  could  not  help  it. 
1  have  been  so  completely  bewildered  by  the  variety  of  scenes,  circum 
stances,  and  persons  crowding  upon  my  attention,  that  for  months  past 
I  have  lost  all  command  of  my  time  or  my  thoughts.  The  period  that 
has  passed  since  my  arrival  in  this  country  has  been  one  of  the  greatest 
and  most  delightful  excitement  I  have  ever  experienced,  and  the  excite 
ment  still  continues,  and  unfits  me  for  any  calm  application.  Wherever 
I  go,  too,  I  am  received  with  a  cordiality,  I  may  say  an  affection,  that 
keeps  my  heart  full  and  running  over. 

My  sojourn  in  Washington  prolonged  itself  through  the  whole  session. 
I  became  so  deeply  interested  in  the  debates  of  Congress,  that  I  almost 
lived  in  the  capitol.  The  grand  debate  in  the  Senate  occupied  my  mind 
as  intensely  for  three  weeks,  as  did  ever  a  dramatic  representation.  I 
heard  almost  every  speech,  good  and  bad,  and  did  not  lose  a  word  of  any 
of  the  best.  I  think  my  close  attendance  on  the  legislative  halls  has 
given  me  an  acquaintance  with  the  nature  and  operation  of  our  institu 
tions,  and  the  character  and  concerns  of  the  various  parts  of  the  Union, 
that  I  could  not  have  learned  from  books  for  years. 

After  leaving  Washington,  I  got  detained  most  delightfully  at  Balti 
more  for  three  weeks  by  the  extreme  hospitality  of  the  inhabitants. 

It  was  during  this  visit  to  Baltimore  that  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  John  P.  Kennedy,  who  had  lately  risen 
into  fame  as  the  author  of  "Swallow  Barn,"  and  with 
whom  his  acquaintance  soon  ripened  into  lasting  inti 
macy. 

On  the  15th  of  April,  two  or  three  weeks  after  his 
return  to  New  York,  he  writes  to  Peter  : — 

Since  my  return,  I  have  been  going  the  rounds  of  dinners,  etc.,  until 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  259 

I  am  as  jaded  as  I  was  in  London Time  and  mind  are  cut 

up  with  me  like  chopped  hay,  and  I  am  good  for  nothing,  and  shall  be 
good  for  nothing  for  some  time  to  come,  so  much  am  I  harassed  by  the 
claims  of  society. 

Soon  after  the  date  of  this  extract  he  set  off  on  an  ex 
cursion  to  the  South,  to  visit  the  upper  part  of  Virginia, 
accompanied  by  his  nephew,  John  T.  Irving,  Jr.  At 
Washington  they  heard  of  the  assault  of  Lieutenant 
Randolph  upon  the  nation's  chief  magistrate — -an  in 
dignity  perpetrated  on  board  of  the  steamboat  as  she 
stopped  at  Alexandria  on  her  way  to  Fredericksburg, 
where  the  President  was  proceeding  to  lay  the  corner 
stone  of  a  monument  about  to  be  erected  to  the  mother 
of  Washington.  Mr.  Irving  arrived  at  Fredericksburg 
in  the  afternoon,  after  the  ceremony  of  laying  the  corner 
stone  had  been  concluded. 

I  saw  a  good  deal  of  the  President  that  evening,  and  the  next  morning 
[he  writes  to  Peter,  from  Baltimore,  May  17].  The  old  gentleman  was 
still  highly  exasperated  at  the  recent  outrage  offered  him  by  Lieutenant 
Randolph,  of  which,  ere  this  reaches  you,  you  will  have  heard  and  read, 
usque  ad  nauseam. 

It  is  a  brutal  transaction,  which  I  cannot  think  of  without  indignation, 
mingled  with  a  feeling  of  almost  despair,  that  our  national  character 
should  receive  such  crippling  wounds  from  the  hands  of  our  own  citizens. 

From  Fredericksburg  he  proceeded  to  Charlottesville, 
where  he  visited  the  Jefferson  University,  and  had  to 
fight  off  from  an  invitation  to  a  public  dinner  on  the  part 


260  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

of  the  students.  Pursuing  his  journey,  lie  crossed  the 
Blue  Bidge,  but  unfortunately,  at  this  interesting  point 
of  his  tour,  the  weather  changed,  and  he  traversed  the 
mountain  in  a  heavy  rain,  that  shut  up  the  whole  pros 
pect,  and  harassed  him  with  small  intermission  'during 
his  continuance  in  the  valley.  He  returned  to  New  York 
in  time  to  be  present  on  the  arrival  of  President  Jack 
son  on  his  Northern  tour. 

The  reception  of  the  President,  yesterday  [he  writes  to  Peter  from  New 
York,  June  13],  was  one  of  the  finest  spectacles  I  ever  witnessed.  I  ac 
companied  the  Corporation,  and  a  large  body  of  the  citizens,  in  a  superb 
steamboat  to  Brunswick,  to  meet  him.  The  ceremonials  you  will  see  in 
the  papers ;  but  you  can  hardly  form  an  idea  of  the  increased  splendor 
given  to  spectacles  of  the  kind  by  our  steamboats,  and  the  increased 
population  and  beauty  of  our  city. 

On  the  31st  of  July  he  is  about  leaving  his  "  quarters 
at  Oscar's  very  pretty  country  box,  about  two  miles  be 
low  Tarry  town,"  to  go  to  Saratoga  Springs  for  a  few  days 
to  take  the  waters,  being  a  little  out  of  order  from  a  late 
accident,  in  being  thrown  from  his  gig.  After  a  fort 
night's  visit  to  the  Springs,  where  he  met  with  many  old 
friends,  and  formed  several  very  agreeable  acquaintances, 
he  made  an  excursion  to  Schaghticoke,  and  visited  Her 
man  Knickerbocker,  whom  he  had  known  at  Washington 
about  twenty  years  before,  when  he  was  Congressman, 
and  with  whom  the  name  still  formed  a  bond  of  fellow 
ship.  "  I  found  him  with  a  houseful  of  children,"  he 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  261 

writes  to  Peter,  "living  hospitably,  and  filling  various 
stations — a  judge,  a  farmer,  a  miller,  a  manufacturer,  a 
politician,  etc.,  etc.  He  received  me  with  open  arms,  and  I 
only  escaped  from  his  hospitality  by  promising  to  come 
another  time,  and  spend  a  day  or  two  with  him." 

He  afterward  proceeded  down  the  river  to  Kingston, 
where  he  passed  a  day  in  looking  about  the  neighbor 
hood,  and  visiting  the  old  Dutch  villages  on  the  skirts  of 
the  Catskill  Mountains — scenes  in  his  story  of  "  Rip  Van 
Winkle  "  now  explored  for  the  first  time. 

It  is  an  amusing  fact  in  this  connection,  that  not  long 
before  his  death,  Mr.  Irving  received  a  letter  of  inquiry 
from  a  young  lad  at  Catskill,  informing  him  that  he  had 
"  lately  been  engaged  in  arguing  with  a  very  old  gentle 
man  "  whether,  in  his  "  beautiful  tale  of  '  Hip  Van  Win 
kle,'  "  he  referred  "  to  the  village  of  Catskill  or  Kingston," 
and  appealing  to  him  as  the  only  adequate  authority  to 
settle  the  disputed  question.  "He  little  dreamt,"  said 
Mr.  Irving,  in  exhibiting  the  letter,  "  when  I  wrote  the 
story,  I  had  never  been  on  the  Catskills."  I  think  the 
reader  will  enjoy  the  concealed  humor  of  his  reply,  though 
I  fear  it  must  have  been  somewhat  perplexing  to  the  in 
genuous  lad,  whose  "  desire  for  knowledge  "  had  prompted 
the  inquiry. 

STTNNTSIDE,  February  5, 1868. 
DEAR  SIR  : — 

I  can  give  you  no  other  information  concerning  the  localities  of  the 
story  of  "  Rip  Van  Winkle,"  than  is  to  be  gathered  from  the  manuscript 


262  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

of  Mr.  Knickerbocker,  published  in  the  "  Sketch  Book."  Perhaps  he 
left  them  purposely  in  doubt.  I  would  advise  you  to  defer  to  the  opinion 
of  the  ' '  very  old  gentleman  "  with  whom  you  say  you  had  an  argument 
on  the  subject.  I  think  it  probable  he  is  as  accurately  informed  as  any 
one  on  the  matter.  Respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

Mr.  Irving  had  been  so  much  in  motion  since  his 
return  to  his  native  country,  that  he  had  little  oppor 
tunity  to  resume  his  long-interrupted  literary  occupa 
tions.  It  might  seem,  from  the  tone  of  the  folio  wing  reply, 
that  his  brother  Ebenezer  was  becoming  a  little  anxious 
that  he  should  get  to  work  again  with  his  pen.  His 
brother  felt  increased  anxiety,  also,  that  the  Legislature 
of  New  York  had  recently  recommended  his  abridgment 
of  "  Columbus  "  as  a  class-book  for  the  common  schools 
— a  measure  which  he  thought  likely  to  produce  him  an 
ample  revenue  out  of  that  single  work,  if  proper  arrange 
ments  were  made  to  have  the  recommendation  acted 
upon. 

The  reply  is  dated  from  Washington,  whither  he  had 
gone  to  combat  a  disposition  of  his  friend,  McLane,  to 
resign  his  seat  in  the  Cabinet. 

WASHINGTON,  October  7,  1833. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :— 

.  .  .  .  I  want  to  get  to  work  as  much  as  you  can  wish  me  to  do  so, 
but  God  knows  my  mind  and  time  are  so  cut  up  and  engrossed,  that  I  am 
almost  in  despair  of  ever  getting  quiet  again.  I  hope  the  Abridgment  may 
turn  out  in  any  degree  profitable;  but  it  has  to  work  its  way,  I  apprehend, 
through  a  world  of  trickery  and  counter  management. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  263 

The  following  to  Peter  glances  at  another  Knicker-' 
bocker  excursion  with  Mr.  Van  Buren  : — 

[To  Peter  Irving.'] 

NEW  YORK,  October  28, 1833. 
MY  DEAE  BROTHER  : — 

I  have  received  several  letters  from  you  of  late,  which,  in  consequence 
of  my  interrupted  and  irregular  life,  have  not  been  punctually  answered. 
I  have  been  moving  about  almost  incessantly  during  the  summer  and 
autumn,  visiting  old  scenes  about  the  Hudson.  I  made  a  delightful 
journey  with  Mr.  Van  Buren  in  an  open  carriage  from  Kinderhook 
to  Poughkeepsie,  then  crossing  the  river  to  the  country  about  the  foot  of 
the  Catskill  Mountains,  and  so  from  Esopus,  by  Goshen,  Haverstraw, 
Tappan,  Hackensack,  to  Communipaw  —  an  expedition  which  took  two 
weeks  to  complete,  in  the  course  of  which  we  visited  curious  old  Dutch 
places  and  Dutch  families.  I  then  made  a  rapid  move  to  Washington  to 
be  with  Mr.  McLane  during  a  crisis  of  the  Cabinet,  when  he  was  much 
disposed  to  resign  —  a  measure  which  would  have  been  very  injurious  to 
his  interests  and  happiness 

I  am  now  getting  at  home  upon  American  themes,  and  the  scenes  and 
characters  I  have  noticed  since  my  return  begin  to  assume  a  proper  tone 
and  form  and  grouping  in  my  mind,  and  to  take  a  tinge  from  my  imagi 
nation. 

Ten  days  later,  November  8,  he  writes  to  the  same 
brother : — 

I  am  busy  with  my  pen,  and  feel  that  I  shall  work  a  great  deal,  and 
produce  much  new  matter,  beside  setting  loose  much  manuscript  that  has 
lain  for  some  time  by  me,  in  a  manner  bound  up. 

When  I  get  all  my  copy-rights  in  my  hands  again,  which  will  be  in 
about  a  year,  they  will  be  a  new  source  of  profit.  Independent  of  all  this, 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OP  IRVING. 


I  now  begin  to  feel  confidence  that  my  Abridgment  is  going  to  be,  oi 
itself,  a  steady  and  handsome  revenue. 

These  sanguine-anticipations  of  profit  from  the  Abridg 
ment  of  "  Columbus  "  were  not  destined  to  be  realized. 
The  Carvills,  in  consideration  of  four  hundred  dollars, 
had,  in  the  previous  April,  released  his  agent,  Ebenezer 
Irving,  from  the  conditions  of  their  agreement  for  the 
unexpired  time,  which  extended  to  June  30, 1834  ;  but  the 
difficulties  of  getting  it  into  complete  circulation,  from 
the  rivalships  of  other  school  books,  made  the  recom 
mendation  of  the  Legislature  to  some  extent  a  nullity. 


CHAPTEE  XIX. 

THE  AUTHOR'S  FIRST  NOTION  OF  "ASTORIA." — A  NOMINATION  TO  CONGRESS 
OFFERED  AND  DECLINED. —  HIS  DISTASTE  FOR  POLITICS. —  THE  "  CRAYON 
MISCELLANIES." — PUBLICATION  AND  RECEPTION  OF  THE  "TOUR  ON  THE 
PRAIRIES." — AMERICAN  AND  ENGLISH  PREFACE. —  FARMS  OUT  HIS  PRIOR 
WORKS  TO  CAREY,  LEA  &  CO.,  FOR  A  TERM  OF  SEVEN  YEARS. —  NO.  II.  OF 
THE  "CRAYON  MISCELLANY." — "ABBOTSFORD  "  AND  "  NEWSTEAD." — 
SUNNYSIDE  IN  EMBRYO. — NO.  III.  OF  "THE  CRAYON  MISCELLANY." — THE 
"LEGENDS  OF  THE  CONQUEST  OF  SPAIN." — ITS  PUBLICATION. — THE  WORK- 
MEN  BUSY  UPON  HIS  COTTAGE. 

PASS  over  the  first  portion  of  this  year,  which 
was  spent  in  the  bosom  of  the  domestic  circle 
at  No.  3  Bridge  Street,  the  residence  of  his 
brother  Ebenezer,  with  the  exception  of  a  flying  visit  to 
Philadelphia  in  June,  in  the  course  of  which  he  picked 
up  his  material  for  Ralph  Ringwood,  and  a  few  summer 
excursions,  and  come  at  once  to  the  following  letters  to 
myself,  in  which  he  broaches  the  subject  of  "Astoria  " — 
the  work  which  he  gave  to  the  public  in  1836,  and  which 
was  to  link  his  name  with  the  region  beyond  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  "  where  rolls  the  Oregon." 

These  letters  were  addressed  to  me  at  Jacksonville, 
111.,  to  which  place  I  had  gone  from  my  native  city,  New 
York,  the  preceding  year.  At  the  date  of  the  first  I  had 

265 


26G  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

been  meditating  a  visit  to  New  York,  though  not  with  the 
intention  of  remaining  as  the  letter  supposes. 

[To  Pierre  Munro  Irving.} 

NEW  YORK,  September  15,  1834. 

MY  DEAR  PIERRE  : — 

.  .  .  .  John  Jacob  Astor  is  extl  r  mely  desirous  of  having  a  work 
written  on  the  subject  of  his  settlement  of  Astoria,  at  the  mouth  of 
Columbia  River;  something  that  might  take  with  the  reading  world,  and 
secure  to  him  the  reputation  of  having  originated  the  enterprise  and 
founded  the  colony  that  are  likely  to  have  such  important  results  in  the 
history  of  commerce  and  colonization. 

The  old  gentleman  has  applied  to  me  repeatedly  in  the  matter,  offering 
to  furnish  abundance  of  materials  in  letters,  journals,  and  verbal  narra 
tives,  and  to  pay  liberally  for  time  and  trouble.  I  have  felt  aware  that 
a  work  might  be  written  on  the  subject,  full  of  curious  and  entertaining 
matter,  comprising  adventurous  expeditions  by  sea  and  land,  scenes 
beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains,  incidents  and  scenes  illustrative  of  Indian 
character,  and  of  that  singular  and  but  little  known  class,  the  traders  and 
voyageurs  of  the  Fur  Companies.  Still  I  am  so  much  engrossed  with 
other  plans,  that  I  have  not  time  for  the  examination  of  papers,  the 
digesting  of  various  materials,  etc. ,  and  have  stood  aloof  from  the  under 
taking,  though  still  keeping  the  matter  open. 

Since  I  have  heard  of  your  inclination  to  return  to  New  York,  however, 
it  has  occurred  to  me  that  you  might  be  disposed  to  take  this  subject  in 
hand ;  to  collate  the  various  documents,  collect  verbal  information,  and 
reduce  the  whole  to  such  form  that  I  might  be  able  to  dress  it  up  advan 
tageously,  and  with  little  labor,  for  the  press. 

In  an  interview  which  I  had  with  Mr.  Astor,  a  day  or  two  since,  in 
which  he  laid  before  me  a  variety  of  documents,  I  accordingly  stated  to 
him  my  inability  at  present  to  give  the  subject  the  labor  that  would  be 
requisite,  but  the  possibility  that  you  might  aid  me  in  the  way  I  have 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  267 

mentioned;  in  which  case  I  should  have  no  objection  to  putting  the 
finishing  hand  to  the  work.  The  old  gentleman  caught  at  the  idea,  and 
begged  me  to  write  to  you  immediately.  He  said  he  would  be  willing  to 
pay  you  whatever  might  be  deemed  proper  for  your  services,  and  that,  if 
any  profit  resulted  from  the  sale  of  the  work,  it  would  belong,  of  course, 
to  the  authors. 

I  lay  this  matter  before  you,  to  be  considered  in  contrast  or  connection 
with  your  other  plans.  If  you  take  it  in  hand,  it  will  furnish  you  with 
employment  for  at  least  a  year,  and  I  shall  take  care  to  secure  your  being 
well  paid  for  your  current  time  and  labor;  the  ultimate  profits  of  the 
work  may  be  a  matter  of  after  arrangement  between  us. 

Mr.  Astor  is  a  strong-minded  man,  and  one  from  whose  conversation 
much  curious  information  is  to  be  derived.  He  feels  the  want  of  occupa 
tion  and  amusement,  and  thinks  he  may  find  something  of  both  in  the 
progress  of  this  work.  You  would  find  him  very  kindly  disposed,  for  he 
was  an  early  friend  of  your  father,  for  whose  memory  he  entertains  great 
regard ;  and  he  has  always  been  on  terms  of  intimacy  with  your  uncle 
Peter  and  myself,  besides  knowing  more  or  less  of  others  of  our  family. 
Halleck,  the  poet,  resides  a  great  deal  with  him  at  present,  having  a 
handsome  salary  for  conducting  his  affairs. 

When  you  have  thought  over  this  matter  and  made  up  your  mind,  let 
me  hear  from  you.  If  you  determine  in  favor  of  it  the  sooner  you  come 
on  the  better.  I  have  entertained  the  matter  thus  far  for  your  sake, 
having  no  care  about  it  for  myself  :  decide,  therefore,  as  you  think  fit,  or 
as  your  inclination  prompts 

To  this  letter  I  replied,  that  I  should  think  favorably 
of  the  enterprise,  if  my  share  of  the  work  could  be  per 
formed  in  the  period  specified,  and  I  could  be  assured  of 
two  thousand  dollars  for  my  cooperation,  rejecting  all  idea 
of  advantage  or  remuneration  from  the  sale  of  the  work 
itself. 


268  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

To  this  Mr.  Irving  responded  as  follows  : — 


NEW  YORK,  October  29,  1884. 
MY  DEAR  PIERRE  : — 

I  received,  a  lew  days  since,  your  letter  of  October  5th,  which  gives  me 
to  suppose  that  you  would  undertake  the  task  proposed  to  you,  provided 
you  could  be  sure  of  a  compensation  of  two  thousand  dollars.  I  have 
since  had  a  definite  conversation  with  Mr.  Astor,  and  fixed  your  compen 
sation  at  three  thousand  dollars. 

Now  for  the  nature  of  the  work,  and  the  aid  that  will  be  required  of  you. 
My  present  idea  is  to  call  the  work  by  the  general  name  of  "Astoria" — 
the  name  of  the  settlement  made  by  Mr.  Astor  at  the  mouth  of  Columbia 
River ;  under  this  head  to  give  not  merely  a  history  of  his  great  colonial 
and  commercial  enterprise,  and  of  the  fortunes  of  his  colony,  but  a  body 
of  information  concerning  the  whole  region  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
on  the  borders  of  Columbia  River,  comprising  the  adventures,  by  sea  and 
land,  of  traders,  trappers,  Indian  warriors,  hunters,  etc. ;  their  habits, 
characters,  persons,  costumes,  etc.;  descriptions  of  natural  scenery, 
animals,  plants,  etc.,  etc.  I  think,  in  this  way,  a  rich  and  varied  work 
may  be  formed,  both  entertaining  and  instructive,  and  laying  open  scenes 
in  the  wild  life  of  that  adventurous  region  which  would  possess  the  charm 
of  freshness  and  novelty.  You  would  be  required  to  look  over  the  various 
papers,  letters,  and  journals  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Astort  written  by 
various  persons  who  have  been  in  his  employ,  to  draw  anecdotes  and  de 
scriptions  from  him,  and  from  Northwest  traders  who  occasionally  visit 
him ;  to  forage  among  various  works  in  French  and  English  that  have 
been  published  relative  to  these  regions,  and  thus  to  draw  together  and 
arrange  into  some  kind  of  form  a  great  body  of  facts.  In  all  this  I  may 
be  able  to  render  you  much  assistance.  When  the  work  is  thus  crudely 
prepared,  I  will  take  it  in  hand,  and  prepare  it  for  the  press,  as  it  is  a  sine 
qua,  non  with  Mr.  Astor  that  my  name  should  be  to  the  work.  You  now 
fcve  a  general  idea  of  what  will  be  your  task.  I  think  you  may  find  it  a 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  269 

rery  interesting  and  agreeable  one,  and  may  accomplish  it  within  the 
space  of  a  year. 

Should  you  determine  to  undertake  the  work,  you  must  come  on  immedi 
ately.  Mr.  Astor  has  his  mind  set  upon  the  matter,  and,  in  fact,  looks  for 
ward  to  it  as  a  source  of  pleasant  occupation  for  the  winter.  He  has  taken 
a  house  in  town  for  his  winter  residence,  and,  if  you  undertake  the  task, 
would  wish  you  to  reside  with  him  as  long  as  you  may  find  it  agreeable, 
and  has  likewise  invited  Halleck  [the  poet]  to  be  his  guest.  The  latter 
you  will  find  a  very  pleasant  companion. 

Mr.  Astor  has  his  papers  all  arranged,  so  that  you  would  be  able  to  get 
to  work  immediately.  Let  me  hear  from  you  on  the  receipt  of  this.  If 
you  determine  to  come,  you  had  better  put  your  portmanteau  in  the  first 
stage-coach,  and  come  on  as  promptly  as  possible. 

Your  affectionate  uncle,  W.  I. 

I  arrived  in  New  York,  to  perform  my  share  of  this 
literary  undertaking,  not  long  after  a  closely  contested 
election,  which  had  been  conducted  with  great  bitterness, 
and  in  which  the  Jackson  party  had  wished  to  hold  Mr. 
Irving  up  for  Congress.  He  had  declined,  however,  min 
gling  in  any  way  in  the  feuds  of  party,  not  even  giving  a 
vote.  A  short  time  previous  he  had  written  to  Peter  : — 

You  are  right  in  your  conjectures  that  I  keep  myself  aloof  from  politics. 
The  more  I  see  of  political  life  here,  the  more  I  am  disgusted  with  it. 

.  .  .  .  There  is  such  coarseness  and  vulgarity  and  dirty  trick 
mingled  with  the  rough-and-tumble  contest.  I  want  no  part  or  parcel  in 
such  warfare. 

He  had  at  this  time  completed  his  "Tour  on  the 
Prairies,"  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  extract  of  a 
letter  to  his  brother  Peter,  dated  November  24  1834: — 


270  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

For  my  own  literary  occupations  I  cannot  speak  so  confidently  as  you 
would  wish.  I  have  written  a  little  narrative  of  my  tour  from  Fort 
Gibson  on  the  Pawnee  hunting  grounds.  It  makes  about  three  hundred 
and  fifty  pages  of  my  usual  writing ;  but  I  feel  reluctant  to  let  it  go  before 
the  public.  So  much  has  been  said  in  the  papers  about  my  tour  to  the 
West,  and  the  work  I  was  preparing  on  the  subject,  that  I  dread  the 
expectations  formed,  especially  as  what  I  have  written  is  extremely 
simple,  and  by  no  means  striking  in  its  details. 

In  the  letters  which  follow  to  the  same  correspondent, 
we  have  some  further  glimpse  of  his  literary  plans  and 
purposes- —  "  literary  babblings,"  as  he  terms  them : — 

NEW  YORK,  January  8, 1835. 
MY  DEAR  BROTHER: — 

.  .  .  .  I  have  at  length  resolved  to  break  the  ice,  and  begin  to 
publish.  I  have  been  delayed  in  this  by  the  expectation  manifested  that 
I  would  publish  something  about  this  country,  and  the  difficulty  I  found 
in  preparing  anything,  under  whip  and  spur,  that  would  satisfy  myself. 
I  have  now  resolved  to  come  out  in  a  series  of  volumes,  published  from 
time  to  time,  under  the  general  title  of  "  Miscellanies,  by  the  author  of 
the  Sketch  Book,"  No.  I.,  II.,  etc.,  with  a  second  title  giving  the  par 
ticular  contents  of  the  volume.  In  this  way  I  mean  to  clear  off  all  the 
manuscripts  I  have  on  hand,  and  to  throw  off  casual  lucubrations  con 
cerning  home  scenes,  etc.  I  have  sent  off  the  MS.  for  the  first  volume  to 
Colonel  Aspinwall.  The  title  of  the  volume  will  be,  "A  tour  on  the 
Prairies,  by  the  author  of  the  Sketch  Book,"  and  will  comprise  merely 
my  expedition  with  the  rangers  from  Fort  Gibson  to  the  Pawnee  hunting 
grounds.  The  volume  will  be  about  the  size  of  a  volume  of  the  "  Sketch 
Book."  .... 

In  the  course  of  the  volumes  I  will  include  my  writings  relative  to 
Spain,  etc.,  so  that  the  series  will  form  a  kind  of  gallery  of  varied  works. 
This  plan  enables  me  to  throw  off  single  volumes  which  would  not  be  ot 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  271 

sufficient  importance  to  stand  by  themselves,  and  which  would  otherwise 
lie  dormant  in  my  trunk,  as  they  have  already  done.  When  once 
launched,  1  shall  keep  going. 

Three  months  later  (April  11),  he  writes  : — 

My  "Tour  on  the  Prairies"  has  just  been  published  here,  though  it 
has  been  out  for  upwards  of  a  month  in  London.  The  second  volume  of 
my  "Miscellany"  is  nearly  stereotyped,  and  will  be  ready  for  publica 
tion  in  a  month  or  six  weeks.  I  am  glad  to  be  once  more  in  dealings 
with  Murray,  and  am  well  satisfied  with  the  terms  of  sale  of  my  volume 
about  the  prairies  —  £400,  in  a  bill  at  four  months.  The  price  is  not  so 
high  as  I  used  to  get,  but  there  has  been  a  great  change  in  the  booksell 
ing  trade  of  late  years.  The  inundation  of  cheap  publications,  penny 
magazines,  etc.,  has  brought  down  the  market.  The  market  here,  in  the 
meantime,  has  immensely  extended,  so  that,  between  the  two,  I  fancy  I 
shall  be  as  well  off  as  before.  At  any  rate,  I  am  content,  and  feel  no 
further  solicitude  in  money  matters,  excepting  to  acquire  the  means  of 
benefiting  others. 

The  "Tour  on  the  Prairies"  received  a  highly  com 
mendatory  notice  in  the  "  North  American  Review,"  in 
which  the  accomplished  critic,  Edward  Everett,  after 
duelling  on  the  peculiar  merits  of  Mr.  Irving's  style,  and 
the  wide  range  of  his  topics  —  "the  humors  of  contem 
porary  politics  and  every-day  life  in  America  —  the  tradi 
tionary  peculiarities  of  the  Dutch  founders  of  New  York 
— the  nicest  shades  of  the  school  of  English  manners  of 
ihe  last  century — the  Chivalry  of  the  Middle  Ages  in 
Spain  —  the  glittering  visions  of  Moorish  romance' —  and, 
lastly,  the  whole  unhackneyed  freshness  of  the  "West  — 


272  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

life  beyond  the  border  —  a  camp  outside  the  frontier  —  a 
hunt  on  buffalo  ground  "  —  proceeds  :  — 

To  what  class  of  compositions  the  present  work  belongs,  we  are  hardly 
able  to  say.  It  can  scarcely  be  called  a  book  of  travels,  for  there  is  too 
much  painting  of  manners  and  scenery,  and  too  little  statistics ;  it  is  not  a 
novel,  for  there  is  no  story ;  and  it  is  not  a  romance,  for  it  is  all  true.  It 
is  a  sort  of  sentimental  journey,  a  romantic  excursion,  in  which  nearly  all 
the  elements  of  several  different  kinds  of  writing  are  beautifully  and 
gayly  blended  into  a  production  almost  sui  generis.  .  .  ./.  We  are 
proud  of  Mr.  Irving's  sketches  of  English  life,  proud  of  the  gorgeous 
canvas  upon  which  he  has  gathered  in  so  much  of  the  glowing  imagery  of 
Moorish  times.  We  behold  with  delight  his  easy  and  triumphant  march 
over  these  beaten  fields;  but  we  glow  with  rapture  as  we  see  him  coming 
back,  laden  with  the  poetical  treasures  of  the  primitive  wilderness,  rich 
with  spoil  from  the  uninhabited  desert.  We  thank  him  for  turning  these 
poor  barbarous  steppes  into  classical  land,  and  joining  his  inspiration  to 
that  of  Cooper  in  breathing  life  and  fire  into  a  circle  of  imagery,  which 
was  not  known  before  to  exist,  for  the  purposes  of  the  imagination.  / 

For  the  right  of  publishing  and  vending  five  thousand 
copies  of  the  "  Tour  on  the  Prairies,"  from  the  stereotype 
plates  furnished  by  the  author,  Messrs.  Carey,  Lea  & 
Blanchard  of  Philadelphia,  gave  fifteen  hundred  dollars, 
in  three  equal  notes,  dated  April  14,  at  six,  nine,  and 
twelve  months,  and  three  hundred  dollars  for  every  addi 
tional  thousand.  I  find  that  on  the  10th  November,  1835, 
they  gave  their  note  at  nine  months  ($300)  for  the  eighth 
thousand. 

The  American  edition  of  the  "  Tour  on  the  Prairies," 
published  more  than  a  month  after  the  English,  con 
tained  an  introduction,  not  retained  in  subsequent  edi- 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  273 

tions.  Only  that  part  of  the  preface  which  had  relation 
to  the  volume  was  given  in  the  English  edition,  or  will 
now  be  found  in  the  collective  edition  of  the  author's 
works,  published  by  Mr.  George  P.  Putnam.  This  por 
tion  of  the  introduction  was  so  purely  personal,  tempo 
rary,  and  local  in  its  interest,  that  any  intelligent  reader 
will  readily  understand  why  it  was  neither  embraced  in 
the  English  copy  nor  retained  in  later  American  editions. 
It  will  be  seen,  however,  in  a  future  chapter,  that  this 
difference  between  the  English  and  American  preface  re 
ceived  a  harsh  and  illiberal  construction,  and  was  sought 
to  be  turned  to  the  author's  prejudice. 

I  give  some  further  extracts  from  his  letters  to  his 
brother  Peter,  which  furnish,  at  this  period,  a  sort  of 
connected  biography  of  him.  Peter  had  now  removed 
from  Paris  to  Havre,  where  he  was  comfortably  situated 
in  the  mansion  of  his  friend  Beasley,  the  American  Con 
sul,  vainly  hoping  to  get  the  better  of  a  malady  with 
which  he  had  recently  been  attacked,  and  which,  he 
feared,  would  throw  increased  difficulty  in  the  way  of  his 
return  to  America. 

[To  Peter  Irving.'] 

April  nth. — The  first  volume  of  the  "Crayon  Miscellany"  is  doing 
well,  both  in  England  and  the  United  States.  The  second  volume  will 
go  to  press  here  within  a  fortnight.  I  have  farmed  out  all  my  back 
works  (excepting  the  Abridgment  of  "Columbus")  to  Carey  &  Lea,  for 
another  term  of  seven  years,  at  a  yearly  allowance  [eleven  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars].  The  Abridgment  goes  on  steadily  increasing  in  circulft- 
YOL.  n.— 18 


274  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

tion.     The  funds  invested  in  stock  produce  handsomely ;  so  that  I  look 
forward  to  have  easy  times  in  pecuniary  matters  for  the  rest  of  my  life. 

Pierre  Munro  is  busily  engaged  gathering  together  materials  for  the 
work  about  old  Mr.  Astor's  grand  commercial,  or  rather  colonial  enter 
prise.  I  have  not  taken  hold  of  the  subject  yet.  but  have  no  doubt  I  shall 
be  able  to  make  it  a  rich  piece  of  mosaic. 

[To  the  Same.} 

May  16th. —  ....  Brevoort  arrived  a  few  days  since.  .  .  .  , 
Prom  what  he  says  of  your  inclinations,  and  from  passages  in  your  letters, 
I  indulge  the  hope  that  we  shall  yet  have  you  among  us.  When  your 
health  is  better  established,  it  may  be  worth  the  ordeal  of  a  sea  voyage, 
and  I  would  come  out  to  accompany  you.  Indeed,  I  should  come  out  to 
you  at  once,  were  I  not  mixed  up,  just  now,  with  so  many  matters  that 
concern  the  interests  of  others,  as  well  as  of  myself.  These  I  shall,  in 
the  course  of  a  little  while,  be  able  to  arrange  so  as  to  leave  me  more  at 
liberty.  Among  other  things,  I  have  lately  become  a  bank  director ! 
This  was  for  the  sake  and  at  the  solicitation  of  Mr.  McLane,  who  has 
taken  the  presidency  of  the  Morris  Canal  and  Banking  Company,  with  a 
salary  of  six  thousand  dollars. 

.  .  .  .  My  second  number  of  the  "Crayon  Miscellany,"  containing 
"Abbotsford"  and  "Newstead  Abbey,"  will  be  out  in  a  few  days.  My 
next  number,  I  think,  will  be  the  "  Conquest  of  Spain,"  which  is  fairly 
copied  out,  and  has  been  so  for  a  long  time.  I  am  now  engaged  in  the 
work  on  the  subject  of  Mr.  Astor's  great  enterprise  ;  and  I  am  much  mis 
taken  if  I  do  not  make  it  a  very  rich,  curious,  and  unique  work.  Pierre 
Munro  makes  an  admirable  pioneer. 

\To  the  Same.] 

NEW  YORK,  May  25, 1835. 
MY  DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

I  have  just  received  a  letter  from  Colonel  Aspinwall,  dated  London, 
April  J4,  stating  the  terms  be  has  made  with  Murray  for  the  second  vol- 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  275 

ume  of  my  "Miscellany."*  It  is  a  light  volume,  not  quite  as  full  as  a 
volume  of  the  "  Sketch  Book."  The  following  is  an  extract  from  the 
Colonel's  letter  : — 

"I  have  agreed  with  him  for  £600,  payable  in  the  following  manner, 
namely,  £400  at  six  and  nine  months  after  the  day  of  publication,  and  of 
£200  at  six  and  nine  months  after  the  day  of  publication  of  a  second  edi 
tion — the  first  edition  to  consist  of  three  thousand  copies.  These  were  the 
best  terms  that  I  could  obtain,  and  I  feel  a  strong  persuasion  that  the 
popular  character  of  the  work  will  make  them  more  profitable  than  the 
five  hundred  giu'neas  named  by  you  as  your  price." 

I  am  highly  satisfied  with  the  Colonel's  arrangement ;  indeed,  consider 
ing  the  times  in  England,  where  the  political  crisis  absorbs  all  thought, 
and  leaves  polite  literature  nearly  stagnant,  and  considering  the  quanti 
ties  of  cheap  publications  that  inundate  the  reading  world,  the  prices 
obtained  for  my  two  light  volumes  have  been  very  liberal.  I  shall  be  well 
content  to  go  on  at  such  a  rate  ;  and,  indeed,  my  pecuniary  circum 
stances  are  now  in  such  an  easy  and  regular  train,  that  I  no  longer  feel 
solicitous  about  making  keen  bargains  for  any  particular  work. 

The  price  obtained  from  the  American  publishers,  Ca 
rey,  Lea  &  Blanchard,  was  the  same  as  for  No.  1  of  the 
"Crayon  Miscellany"  —  fifteen  hundred  dollars  for  an 
edition  of  five  thousand,  payable  in  three  equal  notes, 
dated  June  1,  at  six,  nine,  and  twelve  months.  No.  II. 
was  published  May  1  in  London  and  May  30  in  America. 

Aspinwall  writes :  "  Murray  says  "Abbotsford  "  delights 
everybody,  especially  the  Lockharts." 

In  the  following  letter  to  Peter  Irving,  at  Havre,  touch 
ing  upon  the  third  volume  of  his  "Miscellany,"  we  have 

*  "Abbotsford  "  and  "Newstead  Abbey." 


276  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

the  first  mention  of  his  purchase  of  Sunnyside,  which 
had  taken  place  as  early  as  April,  though  the  deed  bears 
date  on  the  7th  of  June  : — 

NEW  YORK,  July  8, 1835. 
MY  DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

....  I  have  nearly  stereotyped  the  third  volume  of  my  "  Miscel 
lany,"  and  shall  send  proof  sheets  to  London  for  publication  ;  but  shall 
not  publish  the  work  here  until  September  or  October,  so  as  to  give  the 
London  publishers  full  time.  The  title,  I  think,  will  be  "  Legends  of  the 
Conquest  of  Spain."  It  will  contain  "The  Legend  of  Don  Roderick," 
"The  Legend  of  the  Subjugation  of  Spain,"  "The  Legend  of  Pelayo,"* 
and  "The  Legend  of  the  Family  of  Count  Julian."  I  have  preferred 
giving  these  writings  in  this  form,  rather  than  giving  them  the  more  pre 
tending  name  of  History  or  Chronicle.  It  enables  me  to  indulge  with  less 
reserve  or  disquiet  in  those  apocryphal  details  which  are  so  improbable, 
yet  so  picturesque  and  romantic.  Did  I  claim  for  these  wild  medleys  of 
truth  and  fiction  the  dignity  and  credence  of  history,  I  should  throw  a 
discredit  upon  my  regular  historical  works.  It  is  this  scruple  that  has 
lain  in  the  way  of  the  publication  of  these  writings,  while  I  contemplated 
publishing  them  under  a  more  imposing  form. 

The  two  preceding  volumes  of  my  "Miscellany"  have  succeeded  far 
beyond  my  expectations,  on  both  sides  of  the  water  ;  and  I  look  forward 
now  with  confidence,  of  being  able  to  keep  up  the  series  from  time  to 
time,  with  ease  to  myself,  and  with  much  advantage  in  every  respect. 

.  .  .  .  You  have  been  told,  no  doubt,  of  a  purchase  I  have  made 
of  ten  acres,  lying  at  the  foot  of  Oscar's  farm  on  the  river  bank.  It  is  a 
beautiful  spot,  capable  of  being  made  a  little  paradise.  There  is  a  small 
stone  Dutch  cottage  on  it,  built  about  a  century  since,  and  inhabited  by 
one  of  the  Van  Tassels.  I  have  had  an  architect  up  there,  and  shall 
build  upon  the  old  mansion  this  summer.  My  idea  is  to  make  a  little 

*  It  did  not  contain  the  "  Legend  of  Pelayo,"  which  he  withheld. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  277 

nookery  somewhat  in  the  Dutch  style,  quaint,  but  unpretending.  It  will 
be  of  stone.  The  cost  will  not  be  much.  I  do  not  intend  to  set  up  any 
establishment  there,  but  to  put  some  simple  furniture  in  it,  and  keep  it 
as  a  nest,  to  which  I  can  resort  when  in  the  mood.  In  fact,  it  is  more 
with  a  view  of  furnishing  the  worthy  little  Bramin  a  retreat  for  himself 
and  his  girls,  where  they  can  go  to  ruralize  during  the  pleasant  season  of 
the  year.  The  little  man  has  a  great  love  for  the  country,  and  is  never 
so  happy  as  when  he  can  get  away  for  a  few  days  from  his  multifarious 
concerns,  and  refresh  himself  in  the  green  fields ;  and  since  I  have  pur 
chased  this  little  retreat,  the  very  idea  of  it  has  haunted  his  mind  with 
dreams  of  "rural  felicity." 

.  .  .  .  As  soon  as  I  have  stereotyped  my  present  volume,  which 
will  be  in  the  course  of  a  week,  I  shall  abandon  the  town  altogether,  and 
go  to  work  diligently  with  my  pen  in  the  quiet  of  the  country. 

To  the  same  brother  he  writes,  eight  days  later : — 

I  wrote  to  you  by  the  last  packet,  since  when  I  have  been  to  Wilming 
ton,  Del.,  to  visit  the  McLane  family,  who  are  waiting  until  McLane  can 
find  a  good  house  for  their  residence  in  New  York 

I  stopped  at  Carey  and  Lea's,  at  Philadelphia,  and  had  prosperous  ac 
counts  of  the  success  of  the  two  numbers  of  the  "Miscellany,"  which 
have  a  great  circulation.  I  send  by  the  packet  Hibernia,  for  Liverpool 
this  day,  proof  sheets  of  the  third  number,  containing  "  Legends  of  the 
Conquest  of  Spain."  It  is  all  stereotyped,  but  I  shall  not  publish  it 
here  until  in  September,  to  give  time  for  the  London  publisher. 

The  proof  sheets  of  the  "  Legends  of  'the  Conquest  of 
Spain,"  being  No.  III.  of  the  "  Crayon  Miscellany,"  were 
sent  to  Murray,  July  16,  who,  it  appears  by  a  letter  to 
Peter,  February  16,  1836,  declined  publishing  them  at 
the  price  asked  by  Mr.  Irving,  but  put  an  edition  to  press 


278  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

on  the  author's  account,  which  resulted  in  a  payment  of 
£100.  It  was  published  by  Messrs.  Carey  &  Lea  of  Phil 
adelphia,  in  October,  they  giving  fifteen  hundred  dollars 
for  five  thousand  copies,  in  their  notes,  dated  October  10, 
at  six,  nine,  and  twelve  months.  The  volume  contained 
the  "Legend  of  Don  Roderick,"  the  "Legend  of  the 
Subjugation  of  Spain,"  and  the  "  Legend  of  Count  Julian 
and  his  Family,"  all  of  which  had  been  partially  finished 
in  the  Alhambra — the  first  entirely  so. 

This  volume  was  not  afterwards  included  in  the  col 
lective  edition  of  his  works,  published  by  Mr.  Putnam  in 
1848,  having  been  kept  back,  I  judge,  to  accompany  an 
intended  publication  of  the  "Legend  of  Don  Pelayo,"  and 
other  Spanish  and  Moorish  themes,  at  which  I  have  pre 
viously  glanced.  It  may  be  proper,  also,  to  state,  that  in 
consequence  of  an  unlucky  hiatus  in  forwarding  the  proof 
sheets  to  London,  the  work  was  not  published  in  that 
city  until  the  middle  of  December,  two  months  after  its 
appearance  on  this  side  of  the  water — a  circumstance 
which,  with  the  condition  of  the  times,  no  doubt  had  its 
effect  on  its  English  circulation. 

In  the  following  extracts  we  get  some  further  "literary 
babblings,"  and  a  glimpse  at  the  progress  he  was  making 
in  reconstructing  the  little  Dutch  Cottage  he  had  so 
lately  bought. 

[To  Peter  Irving. ] 

NEW  YORK,  August  Mth. — I  am  working  away  at  the 

Astor  enterprise,  and  hope  to  get  the  narrative  in  frame  in  the  course  of 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  279 

the  autumn  ;  after  which  I  shall  have  nothing  to  do  but  enrich  it.  The 
workmen  are  busy  upon  my  cottage,  which  I  think  will  be  a  snug  little 
Dutch  nookery  when  finished.  It  will  be  of  stone,  so  as  to  be  cool  in 
summer  and  warm  in  winter.  The  expense  will  be  but  moderate,  as  I 
have  it  built  in  the  simplest  manner,  depending  upon  its  quaintness  rather 
than  its  costliness. 

While  incurring  tins  moderate  expense,  however,  he 
was  locking  up  several  thousand  dollars  in  distant  landed 
investments,  into  which,  like  the  rest  of  the  world,  he 
was  seduced  by  the  prospect  of  a  great  and  rapid  advance 
in  the  value  of  such  property. 

[To  Peter  Irving.} 

NEW  YORK,  September  26,  1835. —  ....  For  upward  of  a  month 
past  I  have  been  quartered  at  Hell  Gate,  with  Mr.  Astor,  and  I  have  not 
had  so  quiet  and  delightful  a  nest  since  I  have  been  in  America.  He  has 
a  spacious  and  well-built  house,  with  a  lawn  in  front  of  it,  and  a  garden 
in  rear.  The  lawn  sweeps  down  to  the  water  edge,  and  full  in  front  of 
the  house  is  the  little  strait  of  Hell  Gate,  which  forms  a  constantly 
moving  picture.  Here  the  old  gentleman  keeps  a  kind  of  bachelor  hall. 
Halleck,  the  poet,  lives  with  him,  but  goes  to  town  every  morning,  and 
comes  out  to  dinner.  The  only  other  member  of  his  family  is  one  of  his 
grandchildren,  a  very  fine  boy  of  fourteen  years  of  age.*  Pierre  Munro 
Irving  has  been  a  guest  for  several  weeks  past,  but  has  recently  returned  to 
New  York.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  sweet  and  delightful  I  have  found  thir» 
retreat ;  pure  air,  agreeable  scenery,  a  spacious  house,  profound  quiet, 
and  perfect  command  of  my  time  and  self.  The  consequence  is,  that  1 
have  written  more  since  I  have  been  here  than  I  have  ever  done  in  the 

*  Charles  Astor  Bristed. 


280  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

same  space  of  time.  Within  the  last  month  I  have  written  more  than  a 
volume,  and  have  got  within  half  a  dozen  chapters  of  the  end  of  my  work 
— an  achievement  which  I  did  not  expect  to  do  for  months.  Of  course 
there  will  be  much  to  be  done  afterward  in  extending  some  parts,  touch 
ing  up  others,  enriching  and  embellishing.  It  will  make  two  good  vol 
umes — probably  octavo  ;  and  Pierre  Munro  thinks  it  will  be  more  liked 
than  anything  I  have  lately  written. 

Two  weeks  later  (October  8),  lie  writes  to  tlie  same 
brother : — 

I  finished  my  first  draught  of  the  Astor  work  about  a  week  since,  very 
much  to  my  own  surprise,  not  having  anticipated  such  a  long  and  suc 
cessful  fit  of  writing.  I  have  yet  much  to  do  to  it,  but  it  will  be  merely 
in  the  way  of  enriching  it  by  personal  anecdotes,  etc.,  to  be  gathered  from 
individuals,  actors  in  the  scenes  narrated.  I  feel  sanguine  as  to  the  work 
proving  interesting  to  the  general  reader.  I  have  promised  old  Mr. 
Astor  to  return  to  his  rural  retreat  at  Hell  Gate,  and  shall  go  out  there 
to-day. 

I  have  just  returned  from  a  visit  of  two  or  three  days  to  Tarrytown,  to 
take  a  look  at  my  cottage,  which  is  in  a  considerable  state  of  forwardness, 
and  will  soon  be  under  cover.  It  has  risen  from  the  foundation  since  my 
previous  visit  (about  six  weeks  since),  and  promises  to  be  a  quaint,  pictu 
resque  little  pile.  I  intend  to  write  a  legend  or  two  about  it  and  ita 
vicinity,  by  way  of  making  it  pay  for  itself. 


[To  Ebenezer  Irving,  New  York."] 

TABRYTOWN,  October  16, 1838. 

MY  DEAE  BROTHER  : — 

The  porch  is  carried  up,  and  the  workmen  are  in  want  of  the  inscrip 
tion  stone,  previous  to  removing  the  scaffold.  I  wish  you  would  try  to 
send  it  up  by  Friday  sloop  or  Saturday  morning  steamboat. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  281 

The  Dutch  for  architect  is  Boumeester.  I  presume  it  may  be  abbrevi 
lated  Bou'"r5  or  engraved  in  smaller  letters  (George  Harvey,  Boumeester), 
whichever  will  be  most  convenient. 

Your  affectionate  brother,  W.  I. 

George  Harvey,  the  architect  mentioned  in  the  fore 
going  letter,  was  an  English  artist,  living  a  few  miles 
south  of  the  cottage,  who  had  interested  himself  very 
much  in  its  construction,  and  whom  Mr.  Irving  frequently 
consulted  for  designs  and  drafts.  The  inscription  stona 
of  the  porch  still  bears  his  name,  with  the  adjunct  of 
Bourar. 

[To  Peter  Irving,  Havre.] 

NEW  YORK,  November  24, 1835. 
MY  DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

.  .  .  .  I  am  just  from  Tarrytown,  where  I  have  been  endeavoring 
to  hasten  the  building  of  my  cottage ;  but  though  the  weather  has  been 
uncommonly  fine  and  mild  for  the  season,  and  there  has  been  no  obstruc 
tion  to  the  progress  of  the  work,  yet  a  snow-storm  has  come  upon  us 
before  the  house  was  completely  enclosed.  The  weather  is  again  bright 
and  mild,  and  I  hope  yet  to  complete  all  the  external  work  before  the 
rigors  of  winter.  The  interior  can  be  finished  during  the  winter,  being 
warmed  by  stoves,  and  I  hope  to  have  the  mansion  complete  by  the  time 
the  spring  is  sufficiently  advanced  to  render  a  country  residence  agree 
able.  Like  all  meddlings  with  stone  and  mortar,  the  plan  has  extended 
as  I  built,  until  it  has  ended  in  a  complete,  though  moderate-sized  family 
residence.  It  is  solidly  built  of  stone,  so  that  it  will  last  for  generations; 
and  I  think,  when  finished,  it  will  be  both  picturesque  and  convenient. 
It  is  a  tenement  in  which  a  man  of  very  moderate  means  may  live,  and 
which  yet  may  form  an  elegant  little  snuggery  for  a  rich  man.  It  is  quite 
a  hobby  of  the  Bramin,  and  I  really  think  will  contribute  greatly  to  his 
enjoyment  for  the  rest  of  his  life. 


282  JWE  AND  LETTERS 

I  have  lately  resumed  the  Astor  MS.,  and  hope  to  complete  it  in  the 
course  of  a  few  weeks. 

He  had  suspended  his  labors,  in  expectation  of  the 
arrival  of  a  person  who  had  been  a  principal  actor  in  the 
enterprise  of  Astoria,  and  from  whom  he  was  to  get  many 
personal  anecdotes  for  the  enriching  of  his  work. 

The  letter  to  Peter  I  now  give  is  written  soon  after  his 
brother  John  had  returned  from  a  tour  in  Europe,  in 
which  he  had  visited  his  long-absent  brother,  whose 
residence  abroad  had  now  extended  to  upward  of  twenty- 
six  years. 

NEW  YORK,  December  25, 1886. 

MY  DEAR  BEOTHEE  : — 

....  Your  letter  by  brother  John  has  diffused  a  general  Joy 
through  the  family,  by  the  hope  it  holds  out  of  your  attempting  the  home 
voyage  in  the  spring.  I  have  been  extremely  worried  at  the  thoughts  of  not 
having  been  able  to  come  out  to  you  last  autumn,  and  have  endeavored  to 
push  matters  so  as  to  pay  you  a  visit  in  the  course  of  the  winter.  Brother 
John,  however,  tells  me  that  you  and  Beasley  think  you  will  feel  perfectly 
safe  under  the  guardianship  of  our  worthy  friend,  Captain  Funck.  1 
shall,  therefore,  relinquish  the  idea,  and  turn  all  my  attention  to  prepare 
matters  for  your  reception.  My  cottage  is  not  yet  finished,  but  I  shall 
drive  at  it  as  soon  as  the  opening  of  spring  will  permit;  and  I  trust,  by 
the  time  of  your  arrival  to  have  a  delightful  little  nest  for  you  on  the 
banks  on  the  Hudson.  It  will  be  fitted  to  defy  both  hot  weather  and  cold. 
There  is  a  lovely  prospect  from  its  windows,  and  a  sweet  green  bank  in 
front,  shaded  by  locust-trees,  up  which  the  summer  breeze  creeps  delight 
fully.  It  is  one  of  the  most  delicious  banks  in  the  world  for  reading  and 
dozing  and  dreaming  during  the  heats  of  summer,  and  there  are  no  mos 
quitoes  in  the  neighborhood.  Here  you  shall  have  a  room  to  yourself 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  283 

that  shall  be  a  sanctum  sanctorum.  You  may  have  your  meals  in  it,  if 
you  please,  and  be  as  much  alone  as  you  desire.  You  shall  also  have  a 
room  prepared  for  you  in  town,  where  you  will  be  equally  master  of  your 
time  and  yourself,  and  free  from  all  intrusion;  while  at  both  places  you 
will  have  those  at  hand  who  love  and  honor  you,  and  who  will  be  ready 

to  do  anything  that  may  contribute  to  your  comfort 

I  am  still  at  Hell  Gate  with  Mr.  Astor,  who  is  detained  in  the  country 
in  consequence  of  his  new  house  in  town  not  being  finished.  Pierre  M. 
Irving  is  here  likewise,  and  we  pass  our  time  most  pleasantly  and  profit 
ably.  In  fact,  Mr.  Astor  does  everything  in  his  power  to  render  our  resi 
dence  with  him  agreeable,  and  to  detain  us  with  him;  or  rather,  he  takes 
the  true  way,  by  leaving  us  complete  masters  of  ourselves  and  our  time. 
In  consequence  of  having  so  much  leisure  and  quiet,  I  have  been  able  to 
get  on  famously  with  my  new  work,  and  hope  to  finish  it  in  the  course  of 
a  few  weeks. 


CHAPTEE  XX. 


JOHN  JACOB  ASTOR. —  INVESTMENTS  IN  LAND. —  RETURN  OF  PETER. —  COM 
PLETION  OF  THE  COTTAGE.  —  COMMENCES  HOUSEKEEPING. —  PUBLICATION 
OF  "ASTORIA." — PETER  AN  INMATE  OF  THE  COTTAGE. — LETTER  FROM 
"THE  ROOST." — THE  NEW  PIG. 


HE  year  1836  opens  upon  the  author  in  "that 
admirable  place  for  literary  occupation,"  Mr. 
Astor's  country  retreat,  opposite  Hell  Gate, 
where  he  was  still  sojourning,  and  working  upon  various 
parts  of  the  Astorian  manuscript  which  afforded  room  for 
enrichment.  He  was  looking  forward  impatiently  "to 
the  completion  of  the  cottage "  in  time  to  render  it  a 
"  nest "  for  his  brother  Peter,  who  still  continued  in  the 
purpose  to  attempt  the  voyage  in  April.  "  Now  that  you 
have  made  up  your  mind  to  cross  the  Atlantic,"  writes 
Washington  to  his  brother,  January  10,  "I  am  all  alive  to 
the  matter.  I  never  adverted  to  it  while  I  thought  you 
would  not  be  disposed  to  adventure.  It  is  hard  for  one 
like  myself,  who  never  suffer  from  sea-sickness,  to  realize 
the  horrors  that  it  must  present  to  the  mind  of  one  sub 
ject  to  it.  I  am  in  hopes  that,  by  regimen  and  cautious 
management,  you  may  neutralize  its  severest  inflictions ; 

284 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IEVING.  286 

and  if  you  can  but  get  across  the  sea,  even  in  pieces,  we 
will  gather  you  up  and  put  you  together,  and  make  you 
feel  like  another  being,  when  we  have  you  once  among 
us." 

The  infirmities  which  beset  Peter  at  "Washington's  de 
parture  for  this  country  had  increased  with  the  lapse  of 
time,  and  taken  a  more  painful  form,  yet  he  had  deter 
mined  to  embark  on  the  24th  of  April,  with  Captain 
Funck,  "  his  early  and  excellent  friend,  who  would  take 
as  much  care  of  him  as  he  could  expect  from  a  near  rela 
tion."  "As  the  term  approaches,"  he  writes  to  Washing 
ton,  March  8th,  "I  feel  increasing  desire  to  be  united  to 
the  family.  The  affectionate  welcome  they  are  disposed 
to  give  me,  dissipates  the  hesitation  I  have  felt  to  be 
come  an  incumbrance  to  them.  To  you,  my  dear  brother, 
I  know  not  what  to  say,  and  will  make  no  effort.  I  hope, 
that  if  our  fortunes  in  life  had  been  reversed,  I  should 
have  acted  with  some  degree  of  the  same  generous  affec 
tion." 

The  following  extract  is  from  the  last  letter  addressed 
by  "Washington  to  Peter  before  his  embarkation,  from 
which  it  will  be  seen  that,  in  addition  to  the  three  thou 
sand  dollars  stipulated  by  Mr.  Astor,  I  received  a  special 
compensation  from  Mr.  Irving  on  my  literary  jobwork  in 
lightening  the  labor  before  him ;  yet  the  imputation  was 
afterward  made  that  Mr.  Astor  gave  the  author  five  thou 
sand  dollars  to  take  up  his  manuscripts. 

I  would  premise,  also,  in  this  place,  that  during  Mr.  Ir- 


286  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

ving's  long  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Astor,  commencing 
when  he  was  a  young  man,  and  ending  only  with  his 
death,  he  never  came  under  a  pecuniary  obligation  to 
him'  of  any  kind.  The  only  moneyed  transaction  that 
ever  took  place  between  them  was — the  purchase  of  a 
share  in  a  town  the  great  millionaire  was  founding  in 
Green  Bay,  for  which  he  paid  the  cash,  though  Mr.  Astor 
wished  the  amount  to  stand  on  mortgage.  The  land  was 
not  sold  when  it  had  advanced  in  value ;  and  long  after 
it  had  declined,  when  Mr.  Irving  was  in  Spain,  Mr.  Astor, 
of  his  own  free  will,  took  back  the  share,  and  repaid  the 
original  purchase  money.  "  He  was  too  proverbially  rich 
a  man,"  says  Mr.  Irving,  in  a  letter  which  appeared  in 
the  "Literary  World  "  of  November  22,  1851,  "  for  me  to 
permit  the  shadow  of  a  pecuniary  favor  to  rest  on  our 
intercourse." 

February,  16,  1836. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER  : — 

.  .  .  .  Your  return  will  be  a  perfect  jubilee  to  us  all,  and  I  am 
sure  you  will  feel  happy  yourself  in  seeing  how  happy  you  make  all 
around  you. 

I  am  giving  my  last  handling  to  the  Astor  work.  It  is  this  handling 
which,  like  the  touching  and  toning  of  a  picture,  gives  the  richest  effects. 
I  am  interested  and  pleased  with  the  work,  and  feel  that  the  labor  I  am 
now  bestowing  npon  it  will  contribute  greatly  to  its  success. 

Pierre  has  received  three  thousand  dollars  from  Mr.  Astor  for  his  serv 
ices  in  the  work.  I  have  given  him  one  thousand  dollars.  He  sets  off 
to-morrow  for  Toledo,  a  new  town  at  the  head  of  Lake  Erie,  where  he  has 
the  offer  of  a  share  in  a  land  purchase,  which,  it  is  thought,  will  turn  out 
Tery  profitable.  Real  estate,  and  especially  lots  in  the  vicinity  of  new  towns 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  287 

at  great  commercial  points  in  the  interior,  are  great  objects  of  attention 
at  present,  and  fortunes  are  rapidly  made.  The  canals,  railroads,  and 
other  modes  of  communication  opening  in  every  direction,  is  one  great 

cause  in  the  sudden  rise  in  the  value  of  various  places 

I  have  just  received  a  letter  from  Murray.  He  had  declined  purchasing 
my  last  work,  "  Legends  of  Spain,"  at  the  price  I  asked,  and  had  put  an 
edition  to  press  on  my  account.  I  find  the  success  of  the  work  is  beyond 
his  expectations,  as  he  has  had  already  to  print  a  second  edition  Murray 
is  not  his  own  master  in  these  matters.  In  consequence  of  the  embarrass 
ments  in  which  he  was  involved  about  the  time  T  left  England,  his  affairs 
are  in  the  hands  of  trustees,  whom  he  has  to  consult  as  to  all  his  under 
takings.  My  dealings  with  him  are  perfectly  secure  as  to  money  matters, 
and  in  other  respects  I  have  always  found  him  a  gentlemanlike  person  to 
deal  with. 

In  less  than  four  months  after  the  date  of  this  extract 
Peter  found  himself  a  member  of  "  the  family  hive  "  in 
Bridge  Street,  waiting  until  the  cottage  could  be  ren 
dered  habitable,  to  take  up  his  quarters  in  that  little  re 
treat.  Meanwhile,  the  changes  in  his  native  city,  after 
an  absence  of  twenty-seven  years,  presented  a  constant 
subject  of  interest  and  curiosity. 

There  is  always  "  a  world  of  finishing  that  one  never 
calculates"  in  most  buildings,  and  the  cottage  did  not 
prove  an  exception.  Washington  had  expected  it  to  be 
habitable  some  time  in  June ;  but  at  the  close  of  that 
month,  and  some  five  or  six  weeks  after  he  had  sent  the 
first  chapters  of  "Astoria,"  to  press,  he  writes  to  me, 
then  absent  at  Toledo,  Ohio :  "  I  am  printing  my  book 
and  completing  my  cottage  slowly,  and  hope  the  former 


288  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

will  contribute  toward  defraying  the  accumulated  ex 
penses  of  the  latter."  A  month  before  he  had  written  to 
me  :  "  The  cottage  is  slowly  approaching  to  a  finish,  but 
will  take  a  few  weeks  yet.  For  such  a  small  edifice  it 
has  a  prodigious  swallow,  and  reminds  me  of -those  little 
fairy  changelings  called  Killcrops,  which  eat  and  eat,  and 
are  never  the  fatter."  The  few  weeks,  however,  length 
ened  out  into  months,  and,  though  opened  on  the  1st  of 
September,  it  was  not  until  October  that  the  little  edifice 
became  fully  habitable. 

"  Astoria,"  which  was  going  through  the  press  at  the 
close  of  June,  was  published  in  October.  He  received 
from  Bentley,  in  London,  £500,  and  from  Carey  &  Lea, 
for  the  right  of  printing  five  thousand  copies,  four  thou 
sand  dollars,  in  three  equal  notes,  at  four  months. 

In  the  following  extract  of  a  letter  to  myself,  we  have 
an  interesting  allusion  to  its  reception. 

"Astoria"  succeeds  equal  to  your  anticipations,  and  far  beyond  my  own. 
It  is  highly  spoken  of  in  two  English  reviews  which  I  have  read.  One 
pronounces  it  my  chef  tfcvuvre.  I  am  glad  he  thinks  so,  though  I  don't. 
Old  Mr.  Astor  appears  to  be  greatly  gratified,  which  is  very  satisfactory 
to  me.  William  Astor  also  expresses  himself  in  the  most  gratifying  terms, 
and  seems  surprised  that  the  subject  should  be  made  so  interesting  and 
entertaining.  In  fact,  I  have  heard  more  talk  about  this  work,  consider 
ing  the  short  time  it  has  been  launched,  than  about  any  other  that  I  have 
published  for  some  time  past. 

I  follow  this  passage  with  a  few  extracts  from  one  of 
the  reviews  of  "Astoria,"  to  which  Mr.  Irving  alludes  - 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  289 

the  "London  Spectator"  for  the  week  ending  October 
22,  1836,  which  opens  as  follows : — 

We  have  been  agreeably  surprised  by  these  volumes.  Instead  of  a  novel, 
which  the  title,  on  its  first  announcement,  seemed  to  propose,  "Astoria  " 
is  the  history  of  as  grand  and  comprehensive  a  commercial  enterprise  as 
ever  was  planned  with  any  well-grounded  prospect  of  success,  and  which 
was  prosecuted  among  scenes  as  vast  and  nations  as  wild,  gave  rise  ta 
incidents  as  ludicrous,  as  interesting,  as  appalling,  and  developed  charac 
ters  and  manners  as  marked  and  striking  as  anything  on  record  respect 
ing  the  adventurous  explorers  of  the  Middle  Ages,  or  the  hardy  dis 
coverers  of  more  modern  days. 

Then,  after  giving  a  sketch  of  the  large  scheme  of  Mr. 
Astor,  and  the  main  narratives  of  the  original  voyage  to 
Astoria,  "  full  of  pleasant  humor,"  and  the  land  journey 
across  the  continent,  "  of  a  more  interesting  and  massy 
nature,"  and  glancing  at  the  principal  sources  from  which 
the  materials  of  the  volumes  are  drawn,  the  reviewer 
sums  up  as  follows  : — 

The  result  is  the  production  of  the  most  finished  narrative  of  such  a 
series  of  adventures  that  ever  was  written,  whether  with  regard  to  plan 
or  execution.  The  arrangement  has  all  the  art  of  a  fiction,  yet  without 
any  apparent  sacrifice  of  truth  or  exactness.  The  composition  we  are 

inclined  to  rate  as  the  chef  d'ceuvre  of  Washington  Irving 

The  book,  in  its  better  parts,  does  not  appear  like  a  reproduction  from 
other  writing,  but  as  a  creation  of  genius  from  the  original  observation  of 
things  themselves.  The  author,  with  a  peculiar  felicity,  has  retained  the 
raciness  of  his  authorities.  He  displays  the  acuteness,  distinctness,  and 
reality  of  men  of  business  and  action,  without  their  necessary  minuteness 
and  tedious  expansion.  He  has  extracted  the  spirit  from  the  Astorian 
archives,  and  thrown  off  their  dregs  and  dry  matter. 

VOL.  II. — 19 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

On  the  10th  of  December,  1836,  after  Peter  had  become 
an  inmate  of  the  cottage,  we  have  the  following  epistle 
from  Washington,  addressed  to  the  daughter  of  his  sister 
Catharine  from  "  The  Boost,"  as  he  at  first  christened  hi? 
new  home :  — 

THE  BOOST,  December  10, 1836. 

MY  DEAR  SARAH  :  — 

.  .  .  .  I  cannot  tell  you  how  happy  I  was  to  get  back  again  to  my 
own  dear,  bright  little  home,  and  leave  behind  me  the  hurry  and  worry 
and  flurry  of  the  city.  I  found  all  things  going  on  well.  Your  uncle 
Peter  had  passed  his  time  comfortably,  and  was  altogether  better  in  health 
and  spirits  than  when  we  left  him.  He  continues  to  improve.  He  says 
he  is  free  from  headache,  and  the  touch  of  influenza  is  over.  He  is 
enabled,  therefore,  to  enjoy  the  cozy  comforts  of  the  cottage ;  takes  his 
meals  regularly  with  me,  is  cheerful  and  conversable,  and  occupies  him 
self  with  writing  long  letters  to  his  correspondents  —  a  sure  sign  that  he 
is  in  good  trim 

The  goose  war  is  happily  terminated;  Mr.  Jones'*  squadron  has  left 
my  waters,  and  my  feathered  navy  now  ploughs  the  Tappan  Sea  in 
triumph.  I  cannot  but  attribute  this  great  victory  to  the  valor  and  good 
conduct  of  the  enterprising  and  ambitious  little  duck,  who  seems  to  enjoy 
great  power  and  popularity  among  both  geese  and  ganders,  and  absolutely 
to  be  admiral  of  the  fleet. 

I  am  happy  to  inform  you,  that  among  the  many  other  blessings 
brought  to  the  cottage  by  the  good  Mr.  Lawrence,  f  is  a  pig  of  first  rate 
stock  and  lineage.  It  has  been  duly  put  in  possession  of  the  palace  in  the 
rear  of  the  barn,  -where  it  is  shown  to  every  visitor  with  as  much  pride  as 
if  it  was  the  youngest  child  of  a  family.  As  it  is  of  the  fair  sex,  and,  in 
the  opinion  of  the  best  judges,  a  pig  of  peerless  beauty,  I  have  named  it 


*  George  Jones  had  purchased  the  land  adjoining  his,  in  September,  just  after  he  had 
commenced  his  housekeeping. 
t  Silas  Lawrence. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  291 

"Fanny."  I  know  it  is  a  name  which,  with  Kate  and  you,  has  a  roman 
tic  charm,  and,  about  the  cottage,  everything,  as  old  Mrs.  Martling  says, 
must  be  romance. 

[His  two  nieces,  with  the  rest  of  the  world,  had  been  panning  mad  oyer 
the  acting  of  Fanny  Kemble.] 

Imp,  finding  me  abandoned  by  my  womankind,  has  taken  compassion 
on  me,  and  gives  me  her  company  nearly  all  day  long ;  sometimes  clam 
bering  on  my  lap  as  I  sit  writing,  at  other  times  fondling  about  my  feet, 
or  stretching  herself  before  the  fire,  clawing  the  carpet,  and  purring  with 
perfect  enjoyment. 

I  have  been  writing  almost  incessantly  since  my  return  to  the  cottage, 
so  that  I  have  scarcely  been  out  of  doors,  though  the  weather,  a  part  of 
the  time,  has  been  lovely.  I  wanted  a  companion  to  tempt  me  to  long  walks 
about  the  hills.  Alice  and  John  take  good  care  of  us,  so  that  we  want  for 
nothing  in  the  way  of  household  comforts ;  but,  old  bachelor  though  I  be, 
I  cannot  do  without  womankind  about  me;  so  come  back,  my  darling  girl, 
as  soon  as  you  are  tired  of  New  York,  and  bring  whom  you  please  with 
you ;  but  Kate  must  at  all  events  be  here  in  the  holidays. 

It  is  Saturday  evening.  I  hear  a  solemn  though  rather  nasal  strain  of 

melody  from  my  kitchen.  It  is  the  good ,  setting  his  mind  in  tune 

for  the  morrow.  Thank  Heaven,  I  have  brimstoned  my  cider  according 
to  Uncle  Natt's  receipt;  it  would  stand  poor  chance,  otherwise,  against 
such  melody. 

A  few  days  later,  lie  writes  to  his  brother  Ebenezer : — 

All  goes  on  well  at  the  Roost.  Brother  Peter  is  getting  quite  in  good 
feather  again,  and  begins  to  crow  ! 

You  must  contrive  to  come  up  soon,  if  it  is  only  to  see  my  new  pig, 
which  is  a  darling. 

To  me  he  writes  at  the  same  date :— 


292  LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING. 

I  am  living  most  cozily  and  delightfully  in  this  dear,  bright  little  home, 
•which  I  have  fitted  up  to  my  own  humor.  Everything  goes  on  cheerily 
in  my  little  household,  and  I  would  not  exchange  the  cottage  for  any 
chateau  in  Christendom.  I  am  working,  too,  with  almost  as  much  indus- 
try  and  rapidity  as  I  did  at  Hell  Gate,  and,  I  think,  will  more  than  pay 
for  my  nest,  from  the  greater  number  of  eggs  I  shall  be  able  to  hatch 
there. 


CHAPTEE  XXL 


NEWSPAPER  ATTACKS  ON  MB.  IRVING.— JOSEPH  SEA  WELL  JONES. — WILLIAM  LEG 
GETT. — THE  BOOKSELLERS'  FESTIVAL. — HALLECK  AND  ROGERS. — LETTER  TC 
EBENEZEK  IRVING. — PUBLICATION  OF  THE  "  ADVENTURES  OF  CAPTAIN  BON- 
NEVILLE." — LOUIS  NAPOLEON  AT  "THE  ROOST." — PETER  NO  LONGER  AN  IN 
MATE. — LETTER  TO  EDWARD  EVERETT. — LETTERS  TO  GOUVERNEUR  KEMBLE. 
— DEATH  OF  JOHN. —  THE  TAMMANY  PEOPLE  PROPOSE  TO  RUN  HIM  FOR 
MAYOR. — DECLINES. — PRESIDENT  VAN  BUREN  OFFERS  HIM  THE  SECRETARY 
SHIP  OF  THE  NAVY. — DECLINES. 


HE  month  of  January,  1837,  found  Mr.  Irving 
in  his  little  cottage  dressed  off  in  Christmas 
greens,  with  only  Peter  for  a  housemate,  who 
was  now  completely  settled  in  it,  and  apparently  much  to 
his  taste  and  humor.  "  We  have  a  brilliant  frosty  pros 
pect  from  our  windows,"  writes  Mr.  Irving  to  me,  who  had 
expressed  some  fears  that  he  was  passing  a  solitary  winter ; 
"Tappan  Bay  covered  with  sparkling  ice,  and  the  opposite 
hills  with  snow ;  but  everything  is  warm  and  cozy  within 
doors."  In  these  winter-quarters,  which  he  found  "any 
thing  but  gloomy,"  he  was  exercising  his  pen,  and  "  getting 
on  briskly"  with  the  "Adventures  of  Captain  Bonne- 
rille,"  which  he  was  intending  to  launch  in  the  spring. 

thus  enjoying  himself  in  the  quiet  of  the  coun- 

293 


294  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

try,  he  is  called  upon  most  unexpectedly  to  notice  two 
gratuitous  newspaper  attacks.  The  first  censor  was  Mr. 
Joseph  Seawell  Jones,  who  had  written  a  history  of  North 
Carolina,  and  had  got  into  a  controversy  respecting  the 
mutual  and  contested  claims  of  Virginia  and  North  Caro 
lina  to  be  the  original  depository  of  the  peculiarities 
characteristic  of  the  days  of  Sir  "Walter  Ealeigh  and  his 
Virgin  Queen.  In  the  course  of  the  discussion,  which 
was  carried  on  in  the  columns  of  the  "New  York  Amer 
ican,"  at  that  time  edited  by  Charles  King,  afterward 
President  of  Columbia  College,  one  of  the  parties  brought 
forward,  in  support  of  his  views,  a  quotation  from  a  little 
comic  sketch  of  Mr.  Irving's,  called  "  The  Creole  Village," 
lately  contributed  to  an  annual  (the  "  Magnolia  "*) ;  and 
Mr.  Jones  thereupon — with  what  propriety  I  need  not 
say — indulged  in  some  coarse  personal  allusions  toward 
his  innocent  and  unsuspecting  offender.  Mr.  Irving,  in 
order  that  there  might  be  no  misapprehension  of  the  cir 
cumstances  under  which  his  name  had  been  introduced 
into  this  controversy,  addressed  the  following  letter  to 
Mr.  King : — 

To  the  Editor  of  the  "New  York  American  ">— 

SIR, — I  perceive  a  prolonged  and  angry  discussion  in  the  papers,  with 
which  my  name  has  been  strangely  mingled.  The  manner  in  which  I 

*  The  Magnolia  was  edited  by  that  brilliant  but  unfortunate  English 
writer,  Henry  Herbert.  Besides  the  "  Creole  Village,"  Mr.  Irving  con 
tributed  to  this  annual  another  piece — "  The  Happy  Man. "  Both  were 
afterward  incorporated  in  Wolfert's  Roost,  the  latter  under  the  title  of 
•'  The  Contented  Man." 


OF   WASHINGTON  IRVING.  295 

have  become  implicated  is  this  :  In  a  trifling  sketch  of  a  French  Creole 
village,  inserted  in  one  of  the  latest  annuals,  I  observed,  incidentally,  that 
the  Virginians  retain  peculiarities  characteristic  of  the  times  of  Queen 
Elizabeth  and  Sir  Walter  Kaleigh.  By  this  remark,  I  have  drawn  upon 
me  some  very  ungracious  language  from  a  writer  of  North  Carolina,  who 
charges  me  with  a  gross  violation  of  the  truth  of  history,  and  implies  that 
I  have  committed  an  intentional  wrong  on  his  native  State.  Conscious  of 
no  intention  to  controvert  any  point  of  history  ;  free  from  all  disposition 
to  do  wrong  or  to  give  offense  either  to  communities  or  individuals  ;  and 
accustomed  to  observe,  and  to  experience,  the  most  courteous  conduct  in 
all  dealings  with  my  literary  contemporaries,  I  was  at  a  loss  to  what  to 
attribute  so  indecorous  an  attack.  I  have  since,  however,  understood  that 
the  feelings  of  the  writer  in  question  had  previously  become  sore  and 
irritable,  in  the  course  of  a  contest  in  the  papers  between  himself  and 
some  Virginian  writers,  as  to  the  claims  of  their  respective  States  to  cer 
tain  historical  associations  with  the  names  of  Queen  Elizabeth  and  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh ;  and  that  my  innocently  intended  paragraph  aforesaid, 
being  quoted  by  one  of  his  opponents,  had  drawn  upon  me  his  undis- 
criminating  ire. 

I  have  too  great  commiseration  for  any  person  laboring  under  a  state  of 
mental  irritability,  to  seek  to  exasperate  his  malady ;  and  feel  nothing  but 
regret  that  any  casual  remark  of  mine  should  have  fallen  upon  this  sore 
spot  in  the  mind  of  your  correspondent. 

As,  however,  the  writer's  misconception  has  been  reiterated  in  the 
newspapers,  and  as  some  readers  may  imagine  that  I  really  stand  con 
victed  of  a  deliberate  outrage  upon  historical  truth,  and  hostility  to  the 
claims  of  North  Carolina,  I  beg  leave  simply  to  put  on  record,  that  I  have 
neither  part  nor  interest  in  the  claims  of  either  of  the  belligerent  parties. 
The  opinion  expressed  in  my  unlucky  paragraph,  had  no  sinister  vievr 
with  respect  to  North  Carolina.  It  merely  expressed  a  general  notion 
as  to  the  manners  of  the  Virginians,  and  an  idea  that  they  had  taken  their 
original  stamp  from  colonists  who  had  lived  in  England  in  the  time  of 
Queen  Elizabeth  and  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  and  had  brought  with  them 
the  habitudes  and  manners  characteristic  of  that  period. 


296  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

If  1  am  wrong  in  this  idea,  I  plead  ignorance,  rather  than  submit  to 
the  imputation  of  willfully  misstating  facts;  but  I  believe  that  the  most 
accurate  researches  will  establish  the  correctness  of  the  casual  remark 
which  has  brought  upon  me  so  much  ire.  As  to  the  people  of  North  Caro 
lina,  they  have  always  partaken  of  that  general  feeling  which  I  have 
toward  the  people  of  the  South,  which  is  anything  but  one  of  coldness  or 
disrespect. 

If,  after  this  explanation,  any  disputatious  writer  should  think  fit  to 
persist  in  resenting  an  imaginary  offense,  I  shall  leave  him  to  the  singu 
lar  caprice  of  fighting  shadows,  and  will  only  pray  for  his  speedy  restora 
tion  to  a  happier  state  of  mind  and  greater  courtesy  of  language. 
Very  respectfully  yours, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

GBEBNBTTKO,*  January  4, 1837. 

Mr.  Irving  had  hardly  answered  this  attack,  before  he 
was  assailed  in  the  "  Plaindealer "  of  January  14th. 
William  Leggett,  who  conducted  that  able  but  short-lived 
weekly,  has  been  described,  by  one  who  knew  him,  as 
taking  a  sort  of  pleasure  in  bearding  public  opinion.  He 
had  been  for  several  years  employed  as  one  of  the  editors 
of  the  "  Evening  Post,"  and  remained  with  the  paper  till 
1836.  During  the  absence,  in  Europe,  of  his  editorial 
associate,  William  C.  Bryant,  from  1834  to  1836,  the 
paper  suffered  in  its  finances  from  its  extreme  political 
course,  and,  soon  after  the  poet's  return  to  resume  the 
position  of  a  journalist,  Mr.  Leggett  withdrew  from  the 
"  Post,"  and  commenced  the  "  Plaindealer,"  the  first  num 
ber  of  which  appeared  December  3, 1836.  In  the  seventh 

*  Greenburg,  from  which  the  letter  bears  date,  is  the  name  of  the  township  in  which 
the  pottagu  is  situated.. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  297 

number,  in  an  article  on  "  Mutilating  Books,"  the  editor 
remarks  :  "  Whatever  be  the  motive,  it  is  an  unwarrant 
able  liberty,  particularly  when  the  title  page  or  preface 
gives  no  intimation  that  the  work  has  undergone  emenda 
tion  or  mutilation ;"  and  afterward  adds :  "  Liberties  of 
this  kind,  taken  with  an  author,  are  bad  at  best; 
and  they  become  contemptible,  when  they  result  from 
that  unmanly  timidity  which  is  afraid  to  let  the  public 
see  the  truth.  Our  respect  for  Washington  Irving  under 
went  a  sensible  diminution,  when  we  perceived  that,  in 
supervising  the  republication  of  Bryant's  poems  in  Lon 
don,  he  changed  a  passage  in  the  piece  called  '  Marion's 

Men,'— 

'  And  the  British  foeman  trembles, 

When  Marion's  name  is  heard,' — 

In  order  to  substitute  something  that  might  be  more 
soothing  to  [English]  ears  than  the  mention  of  the  effect 
which  the  mode  of  warfare  practiced  by  the  Southern 
partisan  leader  had  on  the  British  soldiers.  When  Mr. 
Irving,  in  publishing  a  book  of  his  own,  prepares  one 
preface  for  his  countrymen,  full  of  amor  patrice  and  pro 
fessions  of  American  feeling,  and  another  for  the  London 
market,  in  which  all  such  professions  are  studiously 
omitted,  he  does  what  he  has  an  undoubted  right  to  do, 
whatever  we  may  say  of  its  spirit.  But  when,  at  the  sug 
gestion  of  a  species  of  literary  pusillanimity,  he  changes 
the  language  of  poems,  every  word  of  which,  as  written 
by  the  author,  will  live  long  after  even  "Bracebridge 


298  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

Hall"  and  "Knickerbocker"  are  forgotten,  he  shows  a 
deficiency  of  manliness  not  calculated  to  raise  him  in  our 
opinion,  to  say  the  least  of  it." 

Mr.  Irving  first  saw  or  heard  of  this  article  in  coming 
to  the  city  to  attend  the  funeral  of  his  old  law  preceptor, 
Judge  Josiah  Ogden  Hoffman,  who  had  died  on  the  24th 
of  January.  An  attack  so  unmannerly  —  as  it  has  been 
truly  characterized  by  Mr.  Evert  A.  Duyckinck,  a  fair- 
minded  and  elevated  critic  —  and  so  unjust,  took  him 
entirely  by  surprise  ;  and  as  it  seemed  to  derive  weight 
from  the  known  friendship  of  Mr.  Leggett  and  Mr. 
Bryant,  and  their  long  association  as  editors,  he  lost  no 
time  in  addressing  the  following  reply  to  the  editor  of 
the  "  Plaindealer,"  which  I  find  in  that  paper  of  Jan 
uary  28  : — 

To  the  Editor  of  the  "Plaindealer:" 

SIR  :  Living,  at  present,  in  the  country,  and  out  of  the  way  of  the  cur 
rent  literature  of  the  day,  it  was  not  until  this  morning  that  I  saw  your 
paper  of  the  14th  of  January,  or  knew  anything  of  your  animadversions 
on  my  conduct  and  character  therein  contained.  Though  I  have  gener 
ally  abstained  from  noticing  any  attack  upon  myself  in  the  public  papers, 
the  present  is  one  which  I  cannot  suffer  to  pass  in  silence. 

In  the  first  place,  you  have  censured  me  strongly  for  having  altered  a 
paragraph  in  the  London  edition  of  Mr.  Bryant's  poems ;  and  the  remarks 
and  comparisons  in  which  you  have  indulged  on  the  occasion,  would  seem 
to  imply  that  I  have  a  literary  hostility  to  Mr.  Bryant,  and  a  disposition 
to  detract  from  the  measure  of  his  well-merited  reputation. 

The  relation  in  which  you  stand  to  that  gentleman,  as  his  particular 
friend  and  literary  associate,  gives  these  animadversions  the  greater 
weight,  and  calls  for  a  real  statement  of  the  case. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  299 

When  I  was  last  in  London  (I  think  in  1832),  I  received  a  copy  of  the 
American  edition  of  Mr.  Bryant's  poems  from  some  friend  (I  now  forget 
from  whom),  who  expressed  a  wish  that  it  might  be  republished  in 
England.  I  had  not,  at  that  time,  the  pleasure  of  a  personal  acquaint 
ance  with  Mr.  Bryant,  but  I  felt  the  same  admiration  for  his  poems  that 
you  have  expressed,  and  was  desirous  that  writings  so  honorable  to  Ameri 
can  literature  should  be  known  to  the  British  public,  and  take  their 
merited  rank  in  the  literature  of  the  language.  I  exerted  myself,  there 
fore,  to  get  them  republished  by  some  London  bookseller,  but  met  with 
unexpected  difficulties,  poetry  being  declared  quite  unsalable  since  the 
death  of  Lord  Byron. 

At  length  a  bookseller  was  induced  to  undertake  an  edition,  by  my 
engaging,  gratuitously,  to  edit  the  work,  and  to  write  something  thau 
might  call  public  attention  to  it.  I  accordingly  prefixed  to  the  volume 
a  dedicatory  letter,  addressed  to  Mr.  Samuel  Rogers,  in  which,  while  1 
expressed  my  own  opinion  of  the  poems,  I  took  occasion  to  allude  to  the 
still  more  valuable  approbation  which  I  had  heard  expressed  by  that  dis< 
tinguished  author;  thus  bringing  the  work  before  the  British  public  with 
the  high  sanction  of  one  of  the  most  refined  critics  of  the  day.  While 
the  work  was  going  through  the  press,  an  objection  was  started  to  the 
passage  in  the  poem  of  "  Marion's  Men  "  :  — 

"  And  the  British  foeman  trembles 
When  Marion's  name  is  heard." 

It  was  considered  as  peculiarly  calculated  to  shock  the  feelings  of  British 
readers  on  the  most  sensitive  point,  seeming  to  call  in  question  the  cour 
age  of  the  nation.  It  was  urged  that  common  decorum  required  the 
softening  of  such  a  passage  in  an  edition  exclusively  intended  for  the 
British  public ;  and  I  was  asked  what  would  be  the  feelings  of  American 
readers,  if  such  an  imputation  on  the  courage  of  their  countrymen  were 
inserted  in  a  work  presented  for  their  approbation.  These  objections 
were  urged  in  a  spirit  of  friendship  to  Mr.  Bryant,  and  with  a  view  to  his 
success,  for  it  was  suggested  that  this  passage  might  be  felt  as  a  taunt  or 


300  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

bravado,  and  might  awaken  a  prejudice  against  the  work,  before  its  merits 
could  be  appreciated. 

I  doubt  whether  these  objections  would  have  occurred  to  me,  had  they 
not  been  thus  set  forth;  but,  when  thus  urged,  I  yielded  to  them,  and 
softened  the  passage  in  question,  by  omitting  the  adjective  British-,  and 
substituting  one  of  a  more  general  signification.  If  this  evinced  "  timid 
ity  of  spirit,"  it  was  a  timidity  felt  entirely  on  behalf  of  Mr.  Bryant.  I 
was  not  to  be  harmed  by  the  insertion  of  the  paragraph  as  it  originally 
stood.  I  freely  confess,  however,  that  I  have  at  all  times  almost  as  strong 
a  repugnance  to  tell  a  painful  or  humiliating  truth,  unnecessarily,  as  I 
have  to  tell  an  untruth,  under  any  circumstances  To  speak  the  truth  on 
all  occasions  is  the  indispensable  attribute  of  man ;  to  refrain  from  utter 
ing  disagreeable  truths,  unnecessarily,  belongs,  I  think  to  the  character 
of  a  gentleman;  neither,  sir,  do  I  think  it  incompatible  with  fair  dealing, 
however  little  it  may  square  with  your  notions  of  plain  dealing. 

The  foregoing  statement  will  show  how  I  stand  with  regard  to  Mr. 
Bryant.  I  trust  his  fame  has  suffered  nothing  by  my  republication  of  his 
works  in  London :  at  any  rate  he  has  expressed  his  thanks  to  me  by  letter, 
since  my  return  to  this  country.  1  was,  therefore,  T  confess,  but  little 
prepared  to  receive  a  stab  from  his  bosom  friend. 

Another  part  of  your  animadversions  is  of  a  much  graver  nature,  for  it 
implies  a  charge  of  hypocrisy  and  double  dealing,  which  I  indignantly  re 
pel  as  incompatible  with  my  nature.  You  intimate,  that  "  in  publishing 
a  book  of  my  own,  I  prepare  one  preface  for  my  countrymen,  full  of  amor 
patrice-  and  professions  of  home  feeling,  and  another  for  the  London  mar 
ket,  in  which  such  professions  are  studiously  omitted."  Your  inference 
is  that  these  professions  are  hollow,  and  intended  to  gain  favor  with  my 
countrymen,  and  that  they  are  omitted  in  the  London  edition  through 
fear  of  offending  English  readers.  Were  I  indeed  chargeable  with  such 
baseness,  I  should  well  merit  the  contempt  you  invoke  upon  my  head.  As 
I  give  you  credit,  sir,  for  probity,  I  was  at  a  loss  to  think  on  what  you 
could  ground  such  an  imputation,  until  it  occurred  to  me  that  some  cir 
cumstances  attending  the  publication  of  my  "  Tour  on  the  Prairies  "  might 
have  given  rise  to  a  misconception  in  your  inind. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  301 

It  may  seem  strange  to  those  intimately  acquainted  with  my  character, 
that  I  should  think  it  necessary  to  defend  myself  from  a  charge  of  du,' 
plicity  ;  but  as  many  of  your  readers  may  know  me  as  little  as  you  appear 
to  do,  I  must  again  be  excused  in  a  detail  of  facts. 

When  my  "Tour  on  the  Prairies"  was  ready  for  the  press,  I  sent  a 
manuscript  copy  to  England  for  publication,  and,  at  the  same  time,  put 
a  copy  in  the  press  at  New  York.  As  this  was  my  first  appearance  before 
the  American  public  since  my  return,  I  was  induced,  while  the  work  was 
printing,  to  modify  the  introduction  so  as  to  express  my  sense  of  the  unex 
pected  warmth  with  which  I  had  been  welcomed  to  my  native  place,  and 
my  general  feelings  on  finding  myself  once  more  at  home,  and  among  my 
friends.  These  feelings,  sir,  were  genuine,  and  were  not  expressed  with 
half  the  warmth  with  which  they  were  entertained.  Circumstances  al 
luded  to  in  that  introduction  had  made  the  reception  I  met  with  from  my 
countrymen  doubly  dear  and  touching  to  me,  and  had  filled  my  heart 
with  affectionate  gratitude  for  their  unlooked-for  kindness.  In  fact,  mis 
constructions  of  my  conduct,  and  misconceptions  of  my  character,  some 
what  similar  to  those  I  am  at  present  endeavoring  to  rebut,  had  appeared 
in  the  public  press,  and,  as  I  erroneously  supposed,  had  prejudiced  the 
mind  of  my  countrymen  against  me.  The  professions,  therefore,  to 
which  you  have  alluded,  were  uttered,  not  to  obviate  such  prejudices,  or 
to  win  my  way  to  the  good  will  of  my  countrymen,  but  to  express  my 
feelings  after  their  good-will  had  been  unequivocally  manifested.  While 
I  thought  they  doubted  me,  I  remained  silent;  when  I  found  they  be 
lieved  in  me,  I  spoke.  I  have  never  been  in  the  habit  of  beguiling  them 
by  fulsome  professions  of  patriotism,  those  cheap  passports  to  public 
favor ;  and  I  think  I  might  for  once  have  been  indulged  in  briefly  touch 
ing  a  chord  on  which  others  have  harped  to  so  much  advantage. 

Now,  sir,  even  granting  I  had  "  studiously  omitted  "  all  those  professions 
in  the  introduction  intended  for  the  London  market,  instead  of  giving  ut 
terance  to  them  after  that  article  had  been  sent  off,  where,  I  would  ask, 
would  have  been  the  impropriety  of  the  act  ?  What  had  the  British  pub 
lic  to  do  with  those  home  greetings,  and  those  assurances  of  gratitude 
and  affection  which  related  exclusively  to  my  countrymen,  and  grew  out 


302  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

of  my  actual  position  with  regard  to  them  ?  There  was  nothing  in  them 
at  which  the  British  reader  could  possibly  take  offense ;  the  omitting  of 
them,  therefore,  could  not  have  argued  "timidity,"  but  would  have  been 
merely  a  matter  of  good  taste ;  for  they  would  have  been  as  much  out  of 
place  repeated  to  English  readers,  as  would  have  been  my  greetings  ant] 
salutations  to  my  family  circle,  if  repeated  out  of  the  window,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  passers-by  in  the  street. 

I  have  no  intention,  sir,  of  imputing  to  you  any  malevolent  feeling 
in  the  unlooked-for  attack  you  have  made  upon  me  :  I  can  see  no  motive 
you  have  for  such  hostility.  I  rather  think  you  have  acted  from  honest 
feelings,  hastily  excited  by  a  misapprehension  of  facts ;  and  that  you  have 
been  a  little  too  eager  to  give  an  instance  of  that  "  plain  dealing  "  which 
you  have  recently  adopted  as  your  war-cry.  Plain  dealing,  sir,  is  a  great 
merit,  when  accompanied  by  magnanimity,  and  exercised  with  a  just  and 
generous  spirit ;  but  if  pushed  too  far,  and  made  the  excuse  for  indulging 
every  impulse  of  passion  or  prejudice,  it  may  render  a  man,  especially  in 
your  situation,  a  very  offensive,  if  not  a  very  mischievous  member  of  the 
community.  Such  I  sincerely  hope  and  trust  may  not  be  your  case  :  but 
this  hint,  given  in  a  spirit  of  caution,  not  of  accusation,  may  not  be  of 
disservice  to  you. 

In  the  present  instance,  I  have  only  to  ask  that  you  will  give  this  arti 
cle  an  insertion  in  your  paper,  being  intended  not  so  much  for  yourself, 
as  for  those  of  your  readers  who  may  have  been  prejudiced  against  me  by 
your  animadversions.  Your  editorial  position  of  course  gives  you  an  op 
portunity  of  commenting  upon  it  according  to  the  current  of  your  feel 
ings  ;  and,  whatever  may  be  your  comments,  it  is  not  probable  that  they 
will  draw  any  further  reply  from  me.  Recrimination  is  a  miserable  kind 
of  redress,  in  which  I  never  indulge,  and  I  have  no  relish  for  the  warfare 
of  the  pen. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

WASHINGTON  IRVTOJ. 

The  editor  of  the  "  Plaindealer,"  in  introducing  Mr, 


OF  WASHINGTON-  IRVING.  3Q3 

Irving's  dignified  reply  to  his  strictures,  accompanied 
the  letter  with  "the  most  explicit  exoneration  of  Mr. 
Bryant  from  any  lot  or  part,  directly  or  indirectly,  in  the 
remarks "  he  made  concerning  "  what  seemed  to  him  a 
piece  of  literary  pusillanimity  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Irving ; " 
and  added,  that  "  candor  required  him  to  state,  that  on 
various  occasions  he  had  heard  Mr.  Bryant  express  the 
kindest  sentiments  towards  Mr.  Irving  for  the  interest  he 
took  in  the  publication  of  a  London  edition  of  his  poems, 
and  for  the  complimentary  terms  in  which  he  introduced 
them  to  the  British  public." 

Mr.  Bryant  himself,  however,  to  leave  no  doubt  of  the 
editor's  sincerity  in  this  exoneration,  took  occasion  in  the 
succeeding  number  of  the  "  Plaindealer,"  to  state  explic 
itly  that,  though  he  would  not' have  made  the  alteration, 
he  had  never  complained  of  it,  and  had  no  doubt  it  was 
done  with  the  kindest  intentions ;  expressing,  at  the  same 
time,  with  some  feeling,  his  surprise  at  one  or  two  un 
guarded  passages  in  Mr.  Irving's  letter,  as  if  leveled  at 
himself.  To  this  Mr.  Irving  replied  through  the  columns 
of  the  "  New  York  American,"  in  a  letter  addressed  to 
Mr.  Bryant,  expressing  his  deep  regret  that  any  passages 
in  his  letter  to  Mr.  Leggett  should  have  seemed  suscep 
tible  of  a  construction  unfavorable  to  him,  and  disavow 
ing  emphatically  any  suspicion  or  the  remotest  intention 
to  insinuate  that  he  had  the  least  participation  in  the 
attack  recently  made  on  his  character.  The  letter  closed 
as  follows : — 


304  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

As  to  the  alteration  of  a  word  in  the  London  edition  of  your  poems, 
which  others  have  sought  to  nurture  into  a  root  of  bitterness  between  us, 
I  have  already  stated  my  motives  for  it,  and  the  embarrassment  in  which 
I  was  placed.  I  regret  extremely  that  it  should  not  have  met  with  your 
approbation,  and  sincerely  apologize  to  you  for  the  liberty  I  was  per 
suaded  to  take  ;  a  liberty  I  freely  acknowledge  the  least  excusable  with 
writings  like  yours,  in  which  it  is  difficult  to  alter  a  word  without  marring 
the  beauty. 

The  two  letters  of  Mr.  Bryant,  written  after  lie  had  re 
ceived  a  copy  of  the  London  edition  of  his  poems,  for 
warded  by  Mr.  Irving,  in  which  he  expresses  his  thanks 
to  him  for  the  kind  interest  he  had  taken  in  procuring 
the  publication  of  his  poems  in  England,  havo  already 
been  given. 

It  is  evident  from  the  tone  of  the  "  Plaindealer  "  in  this 
attack,  that  its  editor  was  infected  with  a  notion  that 
Mr.  Irving  had  been  too  much  inclined  to  pay  court  to 
England.  It  is  not  necessary  to  vindicate  him  from  this 
false  impression  at  the  present  day,  but  the  question  is 
so  fully  met,  and  the  analysis  of  Mr.  Irving's  character  in 
this  particular  so  admirably  and  truly  given  by  Mr.  Bry 
ant,  in  the  beautiful  address  delivered  on  occasion  of  his 
death,  that  I  cannot  deny  myself  the  pleasure  of  quoting 
from  it  in  this  connection. 

After  alluding  to  the  author's  agreeable  pictures  of 
English  life  in  the  "  Sketch  Book,"  "  Bracebridge  Hall," 
and  the  "  Tales  of  a  Traveller,"  "  seen  under  favorable 
lights,  and  sketched  with  a  friendly  pencil,"  he  re 
marks  i — 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  3Q5 

Let  me  say  here,  that  it  was  not  to  pay  court  to  the  English  that  he 
thus  described  them  and  their  country  ;  it  was  because  he  could  not  de 
scribe  them  otherwise.  It  was  the  instinct  of  his  mind  to  attach  itself  to 
the  contemplation  of  the  good  and  the  beautiful,  wherever  he  found  them, 
and  to  turn  away  from  the  sight  of  what  was  evil,  misshapen  and  hate 
ful.  His  was  not  a  nature  to  pry  for  faults,  or  disabuse  the  world  of 
good-natured  mistakes  ;  he  looked  for  virtue,  love,  and  truth  among  men, 
and  thanked  God  that  he  found  them  in  such  large  measure.  If  there  are 
touches  of  satire  in  his  writings,  he  is  the  best-natured  and  most  amiable 
of  satirists,  amiable  beyond  Horace  ;  and  in  his  irony — for  there  is  a  vein 
of  playful  irony  running  through  many  of  his  works — there  is  no  tinge  of 
bitterness. 

I  rejoice  for  my  part,  that  we  have  had  such  a  writer  as  Irving  to  bridge 
over  the  chasm  between  the  two  great  nations — that  an  illustrious  Ameri 
can  lived  so  long  in  England,  and  was  so  much  beloved  there,  and  sought 
so  earnestly  to  bring  the  people  of  the  two  countries  to  a  better  under 
standing  with  each  other,  and  to  wean  them  from  the  animosities  of  nar 
row  minds.  I  am  sure  that  there  is  not  a  large-minded  and  large-hearted 
man  in  all  our  country,  who  can  read  over  the  "  Sketch  Book,"  and  the 
other  writings  of  Irving,  and  disown  one  of  the  magnanimous  sentiments 
they  express  with  regard  to  England,  or  desire  to  abate  the  glow  of  one 
of  his  warm  and  cheerful  pictures  of  English  life.  Occasions  will  arise, 
no  doubt,  for  saying  some  things  in  a  less  accommodating  spirit,  and 
there  are  men  enough  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  who  can  say  them  ; 
but  Irving  was  not  sent  into  the  world  on  that  errand.  A  different  work 
was  assigned  him  in  the  very  structure  of  his  mind  and  the  endowments 
of  his  heart — a  work  of  peace  and  brotherhood  ;  and  I  will  say  for  him, 
that  he  nobly  performed  it. 

I  now  go  back  a  little,  to  give  the  following  letter  of 
Washington  to  his  brother  Ebenezer,  dated  January  10, 
1837,  four  days  prior  to  the  rude  assault  of  the  "  Plain- 
dealer  : " — 

VOL.  n. — 20 


306  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

All  is  going  on  well  at  the  cottage.  Peter  is  in  good  condition  and 
good  spirits. 

I  have  looked  over  the  account  current,  and  find  on  computing  my 
expenses  since  I  began  housekeeping  on  the  first  of  September,  that  I  can 
keep  on  at  the  rate  at  which  I  have  been  living  without  any  danger  of 
running  aground.  This  is  very  satisfactory  ;  for  so  many  fears  were  ex 
pressed  on  my  account,  that  I  almost  began  to  doubt,  myself,  whether  I 
were  not  playing  the  part  of  the  prodigal  son,  and  wasting  my  substance 
in  riotous  living.  I  question,  after  all,  whether  the  cottage  will  not  prove 
in  the  end,  the  best  of  all  my  speculations. 

Let  me  hear,  by  mail,  about  the  maps. 

The  maps  in  question  were  designed  for  the  work  he 
was  about  to  publish,  entitled  "  The  Adventures  of  Cap 
tain  Bonneville,  U.  S.  A.,  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  of  the 
Far  West.  Digested  from  his  Journal,  and  illustrated 
from  various  other  Sources."  * 

A  few  weeks  later,  we  find  this  work  going  through  the 
press.  Peter  writes  from  the  cottage,  on  the  6th  of 
March : — 

i  Washington  is  in  New  York,  superintending  the  printing  of  a  new  work, 
which  will  be  supplementary  to  "  Astoria,"  as  it  treats  of  expeditions 
in  the  same  regions  since  that  date,  with  an  ample  account  of  the  Indian 
tribes  and  the  white  trappers,  with  details  of  their  peculiar  characters 
and  adventurous  lives  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains  It  is  a  picture  of  a 
singular  class  of  people  midway  between  the  savage  state  and  civilization, 
who  will  soon  cease  to  exist,  and  be  only  known  in  such  records,  which 
will  form  a  department  of  great  interest  in  the  history  of  our  country. 

The  "leading  theme"  of  these  pages,  however,  was 
the  expeditions  and  adventures  of  Captain  Bonneville,  of 
the  United  States  army,  "  who,  in  a  rambling  kind  of  en- 


OF  WASHINGrvtf  IRVING.  30? 

terprise,  had  strangely  ingrafted  the  trapper  and  hunter 
upon  the  soldier."  Mr.  Irving  had  first  met  this  gentle 
man  in  the  autumn  of  1835,  at  the  country-seat  of  Mr. 
Astor.  Coming  upon  him  afterward,  in  the  following 
winter,  at  Washington,  and  finding  him  engaged  in  re 
writing  and  extending  his  travelling  notes,  and  making 
maps  of  the  regions  he  had  explored,  he  purchased  this 
mass  of  manuscripts  from  him  for  one  thousand  dollars, 
and  undertook  to  fit  it  for  publication,  and  bring  it  be 
fore  the  world.  That  manuscript,  which  was  full  of  in 
ter  esting~de tails  of  life  among  the  mountains,  and  of  the 
singular  castes  of  races,  both  white  and  red  men,  among 
whom  he  had  sojourned,  formed  the  staple  of  the  work, 
though  other  facts  and  details  were  interwoven,  gathered 
from  other  sources,  especially  from  the  conversations 
and  journals  of  some  of  the  captain's  contemporaries, 
who  were  actors  in  the  scenes  he  describes ;  while  to  tha 
whole  he  gave  a  tone  and  coloring  drawn  from  his  own 
observation  during  his,  tour  on  the  prairies. 

Mr.  Irving  obtairied  for  the  work,  from  his  American 
publishers,  Carey,  Lea  &  Co.,  three  thousand  dollars,  and 
from  Bentley,  in  London,  X900. 

It  was  while  this  work  was  going  through  the  press, 
that  Mr.  Irving  attended  a  complimentary  entertainment, 
given  by  the  booksellers  of  New  York  to  authors  and 
other  literary  and  distinguished  men,  at  which  Chancellor 
Kent,  James  K.  Paulding,  William  Cullen  Bryant,  Fitz- 
Greene  Halleck,  Rev.  Orville  Dewey,  Judge  Irving,  and 


308  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

others  were  present.  In  the  absence  of  Thomas  Swords, 
the  oldest  bookseller  in  New  York,  occasioned  by  ill 
health,  Mr.  David  Felt  presided.  Mr.  George  P.  Put 
nam,  then  a  youthful  member  of  the  trade,  was  one  of  the 
committee  of  arrangements  and  a  reporter  in  part  of  fihe 
proceedings.  I  take  from  the  report  of  the  future  pub 
lisher,  in  the  "  New  York  American,"  the  following  notice  of 
Mr.  Irving's  brief  remarks,  which  derive  their  chief  in 
terest  from  the  pleasant  allusion  toEogers  andHalleck : — 

Mr.  "Washington  Irving,  being  called  upon  for  a  toast,  observed  that  he 
meant  to  propose  the  health  of  an  individual  whom  he  was  sure  all  pres 
ent  would  delight  to  honor — of  Samuel  Rogers,  the  poet.  Mr.  Irving 
observed,  that  in  a  long  intimacy  with  Mr.  Rogers,  he  had  ever  found 
him  an  enlightened  and  liberal  friend  of  America  and  Americans.  Pos 
sessing  great  influence  in  the  world  of  literature  and  the  fine  arts  in  Gkeat 
Britain,  from  his  acknowledged  soundness  of  judgment  and  refinement  of 
taste,  he  had  often  exerted  it  in  the  kindest  and  most  gracious  manner  in 
fostering,  encouraging  and  bringing  into  notice  the  talents  of  youthful 
American  artists.  He  had  also  manifested,  on  all  occasions,  the  warmest 
sympathy  in  the  success  of  American  writers,  and  the  promptest  disposi 
tion  to  acknowledge  and  point  out  their  merits.  I  am  led  to  these  re 
marks,  added  Mr.  Irving,  by  a  letter  received  yesterday  from  Mr.  Rogers, 
acknowledging  the  receipt  of  a  volume  of  Halleck's  poems  which  I  had 
sent  him,  and  expressing  his  opinion  of  their  merits.  Mr.  Irving  here 
read  the  following  extract  from  the  letter:  — 

"  "With  Mr.  Halleck's  poems  I  was  already  acquainted,  particularly  with 
the  two  first  in  the  volume,  and  I  cannot  say  how  much  I  admired  them 
always.  They  are  better  than  anything  we  can  do  just  now  on  our  side 
of  the  Atlantic  [Hear,  hear].  I  hope  he  will  not  be  idle,  but  continue 
Jong  to  delight  us.  When  he  comes  here  again,  he  must  not  content 
himself  with  looking  on  the  outside  of  my  house,  as  I  am  told  he  did 


OP  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  309 

once,  but  knock  and  ring,  and  ask  for  me  as  for  an  old  acquaintance 
[Cheers].  I  should  say,  indeed,  if  I  am  here  to  be  found ;  for  if  he  or 
you,  my  dear  friend,  delay  your  coming  much  longer,  I  shall  have  no 
hope  of  seeing  either  of  you  on  this  side  the  grave." 

Mr.  Irving  concluded  by  giving  as  a  toast :  Samuel  Rogers — the  friend 
of  American  genius. 

The  company  all  rose,  and  drank  the  health  standing,  with  the  greatest 
enthusiasm. 

Notwithstanding  the  boding  allusion  to  his  declining 
years  in  Eogers'  letter — for  he  was  then  seventy-five — it 
was  the  fortune  of  Mr.  Irving  to  meet  again  the  venerable 
bard  "  on  this  side  the  grave  "  more  than  once. 

Among  the  memorable  events  of  this  season  at  the  cot 
tage,  was  a  visit  from  the  present  Emperor  of  France, 
then  simple  Louis  Napoleon,  who,  after  having  been  a 
prisoner  of  state  for  some  months  on  board  of  a  French 
man-of-war,  was  set  at  liberty  on  our  shores  at  Norfolk, 
early  in  the  spring  of  1837.  From  Norfolk  he  came  im 
mediately  to  New  York,  where  he  remained  about  two 
months,  and  then  returned  to  Europe.  It  was  during 
this  interval  that  he  made  his  visit  to  "  The  Boost,"  ac 
companied  by  a  young  French  count,  and  the  Rev.  Charles 
S.  Stewart,  Chaplain  in  the  Navy,  and  escorted  by  a  neigh 
bor,  Mr.  Anthony  Constant,  with  whom  he  had  been  pass 
ing  a  day  or  two,  and  who  had  previously  announced  to 
Mr.  Irving  his  intention  of  bringing  him  to  breakfast. 
Mr.  Irving  enjoyed  the  visit,  and  was  much  interested  in 
the  peculiar  position  of  his  somewhat  quiet  guest,  though 
little  anticipating  the  dazzling  career  which  awaited  him. 


310  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

At  this  time  Peter  had  resumed  his  place  in  "  the  fam 
ily  hive  "  in  New  York,  preferring,  in  his  invalid  state,  to 
reconnoitre  the  world  from  a  nearer  and  more  populous 
point  than  the  cottage.  During  the  remaining  fourteen 
months  of  his  life  he  continued  in  the  city,  which  fur 
nished  so  much  more  for  amusement  and  observation. 

In  the  following  letter  to  Edward  Everett,  Mr.  Irving 
declines  an  invitation  to  deliver  a  public  address  :  — 


GRBENBURG,  July  12, 1837. 
DEAR  SIB,  : — 

I  have  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  favor  of  the  24th  ult.,  in 
forming  me  that  the  government  of  the  Boston  Lyceum  had  done  me  the 
honor  to  invite  me  to  deliver  the  introductory  address  at  the  opening  of 
their  course  for  next  winter.  The  official  communication  to  which  you 
advert  has  not  come  to  hand,  probably  owing  to  the  irregularity  with 
which  my  letters  are  forwarded  me  from  town.  I  trust,  therefore,  that 
a  reply  to  you  as  President  of  the  Institution  will  be  sufficient.  I  have 
delayed  replying  earlier,  in  the  hope  that  I  might  prevail  upon  myself  to 
accept  so  very  flattering  and  gratifying  an  invitation ;  but  I  regret  to 
say  that  a  shrinking  repugnance  to  everything  calculated  to  bring  me 
personally  before  the  public  eye,  has,  by  unwise  indulgence,  grown  upon 
me  to  such  a  degree  as  to  be,  I  fear,  absolutely  insurmountable.  There 
is  no  gift  I  more  envy  and  admire  than  that  which  enables  the  possessor 
to  bring  his  mind  to  act  directly  upon  an  intelligent  audience,  and  to 
arouse  and  delight  his  auditors.  Did  I  possess  this  great  and  glorious 
gift,  I  should  feel  a  triumph  in  exerting  it  before  such  an  audience  as 
that  of  the  Lyceum :  but  feeling  and  deploring  my  incapacity,  I  can  only, 
through  you,  convey  to  that  institution  my  most  sincere  and  grateful  ac 
knowledgments  for  the  high  proof  they  have  given  me  of  their  esteem. 

Accept  for  yourself,  my  dear  sir,  my  kindest  thanks  for  the  repeated 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  3H 

marks  of  friendly  consideration  which  I  have  experienced  from  you  from 
time  to  time,  and  believe  me,  with,  the  highest  respect  and  regard, 

Very  faithfully  yours, 

WASHINGTON  IBVTNG. 

Honorable  EDWARD  EVERETT,  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 

The  little  domain  of  "The  Boost,"  originally  of  ten 
acres,  afterward  swelled  to  eighteen,  now  consisted  of 
about  fifteen  acres  —  eight  acres,  added  in  the  spring  of 
1836,  having  been  exchanged  by  the  author  for  a  neigh 
boring  lot,  the  property  of  his  nephew,  Oscar  Irving.  In 
the  succeeding  year  he  bought  fourteen  additional  acres, 
of  which  he  soon  after  parted  with  six  for  the  cost  of  the 
fourteen  —  the  only  fortunate  speculation,  as  he  used  to 
say,  he  ever  made,  though  the  purchase  of  Michigan 
lands,  in  which  he  went  shares  with  his  friend  Kemble, 
humorously  hinted  at  in  the  following  letter,  must  cer 
tainly  claim  exemption  from  his  unlucky  ventures.  The 
letter  is  addressed  to  his  old  friend,  then  a  member  of 
the  House  of  Representatives  at  Washington,  and  con 
tains  something  like  a  profession  of  political  faith  —  as 
near,  perhaps,  as  he  ever  came  to  one  ;  for  though  always 
keenly  alive  to  everything  that  affected  the  interest  or 
honor  of  his  country,  he  had  no  party  prejudices  or 
strongly  marked  political  opinions. 

[To  Qouverneur  Kemble.] 

NEW  YORK,  January  10, 1838. 
MY  DEAR  KEMBLE  :  — 

On  coming  to  town,  I  found  yours  of  the  3d  instant  waiting  for  me. 
Arrange  with  Godfrey  as  you  think  best  about  the  payment  of  the  land 


312  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

The  late  hardships  of  the  times  have  moderated  all  my  towering  notions. 
I  am  now  perfectly  resigned  to  fifty  per  cent,  profit,  and  seven  per  cent, 
interest  until  paid.  Nothing  teaches  a  man  better  philosophy  than  a 
little  experience  in  '•  castle  building." 

My  brother,  E.  I.,  who,  you  know,  is  a  wary  man  of  business,  suggests 
that  the  mortgage  we  are  to  receive  should  be  signed  by  the  wives  of  the 
opposite  parties,  if  they  have  any,  and  that  the  buildings  on  the  land 
mortgaged  should  be  insured,  and  the  policies  assigned  to  us. 

As  to  Van  Buren's  insinuation  that  I  have  cut  him,  I  repel  the  monstrous 
charge.  What!  cut  a  President  ? —  turn  my  back  upon  a  friend  when  at 
the  height  of  power  ?  What  the  plague  does  he  take  me  for?  I  always 
suspected  he  had  no  very  high  idea  of  my  merit  as  a  politician,  but  I 
never  imagined  he  could  think  me  capable  of  so  gross  a  -departure  from 
the  ways  of  the  political  world. 

Seriously,  however,  I  have  not  corresponded  with  Van  Buren,  because 
I  did  not  relish  some  points  of  his  policy,  nor  believe  in  the  wisdom  and 
honesty  of  some  of  his  elbow  counselors ;  yet  had  too  great  diffidence  of  my 
own  judgment  and  experience  in  political  matters  to  intrude  upon  him 
my  opinions.  I  have  for  him  the  most  hearty  and  sincere  regard,  and,  if 
I  had  the  arm  of  a  Hercules,  I  would  lift  him  out  of  the  mire  in  which  T 
think  others  are  plunging  him,  and  would  place  him  upon  firm  ground ; 
but,  with  my  feeble  and  uncertain  means,  I  should  only  bother  where  I 
might  seek  to  aid. 

As  far  as  I  know  my  own  mind,  I  am  thoroughly  a  republican,  and 
attached,  from  complete  conviction,  to  the  institutions  of  my  country; 
but  I  am  a  republican  without  gall,  and  have  no  bitterness  in  my  creed. 
I  have  no  relish  for  puritans  either  in  religion  or  politics,  who  are  for 
pushing  principles  to  an  extreme,  and  for  overturning  everything  that 
stands  in  the  way  of  their  own  zealous  career.  I  have,  therefore,  felt  a 
strong  distaste  for  some  of  those  locofoco  luminaries  who  of  late  have 
been  urging  strong  and  sweeping  measures,  subversive  of  the  interests  of 
great  classes  of  the  community.  Their  doctrines  may  be  excellent  in 
theory,  but,  if  enforced  in  violent  and  uncompromising  opposition  to  all 
our  habitudes,  may  produce  the  most  distressing  effects.  The  best  of 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  313 

remedies  must  be  cautiously  applied,  and  suited  to  the  state  and  constitu 
tion  of  the  patient;  otherwise,  what  is  intended  to  cure,  may  produce 
convulsion.  The  late  elections  have  shown  that  the  measures  proposed 
by  Government  are  repugnant  to  the  feelings  and  habitudes,  or  disastrous 
to  the  interests  of  great  portions  of  our  fellow-citizens.  They  should  not 
then  be  forced  home  with  rigor.  Ours  is  a  government  of  compromise. 
We  have  several  great  and  distinct  interests  bound  up  together,  which, 
if  not  separately  consulted  and  severally  accommodated,  may  harass  and 
impair  each  other.  A  stern,  inflexible,  and  uniform  policy  may  do  for  a 
small,  compact  republic,  like  one  of  those  of  ancient  Greece,  where  there 
is  a  unity  of  character,  habits  and  interests  ;  but  a  more  accommodating, 
iiscriminating,  and  variable  policy  must  be  observed  in  a  vast  republic 
uke  ours,  formed  of  a  variety  of  States  widely  different  in  habits,  pursuits, 
characters,  and  climes,  and  banded  together  by  a  few  general  ties. 

I  always  distrust  the  soundness  of  political  councils  that  are  accom 
panied  by  acrimonious  and  disparaging  attacks  upon  any  great  class  of 
our  fellow-citizens.  Such  are  those  urged  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  great 
trading  and  financial  classes  of  our  country.  You  yourself  know,  from 
education  and  experience,  how  important  these  classes  are  to  the  pros 
perous  conduct  of  the  complicated  affairs  of  this  immense  empire.  You 
yourself  know,  in  spite  of  all  the  commonplace  cant  and  obloquy  that  has 
been  cast  upon  them  by  political  spouters  and  scribblers,  what  general 
good  faith  and  fair  dealing  prevails  throughout  these  classes.  Knaves 
and  swindlers  there  are  doubtless  among  them,  as  there  are  among  all 
great  classes  of  men ;  but  I  declare  that  I  looked  with  admiration  at  the 
manner  in  which  the  great  body  of  our  commercial  and  financial  men 
have  struggled  on  through  the  tremendous  trials  which  have  of  late  over 
whelmed  them,  and  have  endeavored,  at  every  pecuniary  sacrifice,  to  ful 
fill  their  engagements.  Europe,  after  an  interval  of  panic  and  distrust, 
is  beginning  to  do  them  justice ;  and  the  faith  of  an  American  merchant, 
and  of  American  moneyed  institutions,  is  likely  to  take  a  still  higher  rank 
in  foreign  estimation  from  the  recent  trials  it  has  sustained. 

As  to  the  excessive  expansions  of  commerce,  and  the  extravagant  land 
speculations,  which  excited  such  vehement  censure,  I  look  upon  them  as 


314  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

incident  to  that  spirit  of  enterprise  natural  to  a  young  country  in  a  state 
of  rapid  and  prosperous  development ;  a  spirit  which,  with  all  its  occa 
sional  excesses,  has  given  our  nation  an  immense  impulse  in  its  onward 
career,  and  promises  to  carry  it  ahead  of  all  the  nations  of  the  globe. 
There  are  moral  as  well  as  physical  phenomena  incident  to  every  state  of 
things,  which  may  at  first  appear  evils,  but  which  are  devised  by  an  all- 
seeing  Providence  for  some  beneficent  purpose.  Such  is  the  spirit  of 
speculative  enterprise  which  now  and  then  rises  to  an  extravagant  height, 
and  sweeps  throughout  the  land.  It  grows  out  of  the  very  state  of  oui 
country  and  its  institutions,  and,  though  sometimes  productive  of  tem 
porary  mischief,  yet  leaves  behind  it  lasting  benefits.  The  late  land 
speculations,  so  much  deprecated,  though  ruinous  to  many  engaged  in 
them,  have  forced  agriculture  and  civilization  into  the  depths  of  the  wil 
derness  ;  have  laid  open  the  recesses  of  primeval  forests ;  made  us  acquaint 
ed  with  the  most  available  points  of  our  immense  interior ;  have  cast  the 
germs  of  future  towns  and  cities  and  busy  marts  in  the  heart  of  savage 
solitudes,  and  studded  our  vast  rivers  and  internal  seas  with  ports  that 
will  soon  give  activity  to  a  vast  internal  commerce.  Millions  of  acres 
which  might  otherwise  have  remained  idle  and  impracticable  wastes,  have 
been  brought  under  the  dominion  of  the  plough,  and  hundreds  of  thou 
sands  of  industrious  yeomen  have  been  carried  into  the  rich  but  remote 
depths  of  our  immense  empire,  to  multiply  and  spread  out  in  every  direc 
tion,  and  give  solidity  and  strength  to  our  great  confederacy. 

All  this  has  in  a  great  measure  been  effected  by  the  extravagant  schemes 
of  land  speculators.  I  am,  therefore,  inclined  to  look  upon  them  with  a 
more  indulgent  eye  than  they  are  considered  by  those  violent  politicians 
who  are  prescribing  violent  checks  and  counter  measures,  and  seem  to  have 
something  vindictive  in  their  policy. 

But  enough  of  all  this  scribble  scrabble.  I  shall  be  heartily  glad  if  Mr. 
Van  Buren,  by  his  sub-treasury  scheme,  or  any  other  measure,  can  extri 
cate  both  the  Government  and  the  country  from  the  present  state  of  finan 
cial  perplexity.  For  my  own  part,  I  cannot  but  th  /ik  a  national  bank, 
properly  restrained  and  guarded  (especially  as  it  respects  dealing  in  for 
eign  exchange),  will,  after  all,  be  the  measure  most  likely  to  suit  the  c»r- 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  315 

cumstances  of  the  country,  and  restore  the  prosperous  action  of  its  trada 
It  would  be  a  salutary  check  upon  all  minor  banks,  and  would  curb  the 
power  of  Mr.  Biddle,  who  is  now  getting  a  complete  financial  sway. 

And  now,  my  dear  Kemble,  let  me  have  done  with  this  "  mortal  coil," 
and  thank  you  for  your  kind  invitation  to  Washington.  I  should  like 
much  to  visit  there,  if  I  could  lounge  about,  a  quiet  and  idle  spectator; 
but  I  have  a  love  of  ease  and  tranquillity  growing  upon  me,  that  makes 
even  the  bustle  of  gay  society  irksome,  and  which  quite  incapacitates  me  for 
the  turmoil  and  excitement  of  a  great  political  metropolis  in  a  high  state  of 
fermentation.  I  am  now  in  the  city,  on  a  visit  to  old  Mr.  Astor,  with 
whom  I  shall  probably  remain  for  two  or  three  weeks,  and  then  return  to 
my  little  retreat  in  the  country,  where  I  play  the  hermit  without  the  least 
shadow  of  gloom,  and  from  whence  I  peep  forth  upon  the  world  without 
the  slightest  tinge  of  misanthropy  or  spleen. 

Give  my  kindest  regards  to  Mr.  Van  Buren,  and  tell  him  that  though  I 
refrain  from  "  bestowing  my  tediousness"  upon  him  in  the  way  of  advice, 
yet  I  like  him  just  as  well  as  if  I  scribbled  to  him  by  the  ream ;  and  that 
though  I  may  appear  to  cut  him  now  in  the  day  of  his  power,  yet,  when 
ever  he  may  retire  from  the  Presidential  chair,  he  shall  be  welcome  to  the 
easiest  chair  in  my  cottage. 

With  kind  remembrances  to  your  sister  Mary, 
Yours  ever,  my  dear  Kemble, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

The  following  is  also  addressed  to  the  same  correspond 
ent,  in  reply  to  some  query  respecting  a  rumor  which  had 
reached  him  : — 

NEW  YORK,  March  12,  1838. 

MY  DEAR  KEMBLE: — 

Absence  from  town  has  prevented  my  answering  sooner  your  letter  of 
the  4th  instant.  There  is  no  truth  in  the  rumor  of  my  having  consented 
to  become  a  candidate  for  the  Mayoralty.  I  have  not  even  been  applied  to 
on  the  subject ;  but,  if  I  had  been,  nothing  could  induce  me  to  undertake 
an  office  for  which  I  feel  myself  so  little  fitted.  Besides,  I  value  my  peace 


316  LIFE  AND   LETTERS 

of  mind  too  highly  to  suffer  myself  to  be  drawn  into  the  vortex  of  New 
York  politics;  which,  not  to  speak  profanely,  is  a  perfect  Hell  Gate. 
.     .     .     .    With  kindest  remembrances  to  your  sister,  I  am,  my  dear 
Kemble,  Yours  ever, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

At  the  date  of  the  foregoing  extract,  Washington  was 
in  the  city  attending  at  the  bedside  of  John,  who  was 
soon  after  removed  from  him  by  death.  This  brother, 
about  whom  he  had  long  before  expressed  his  fears  that 
his  health  would  give  way  under  the  exhausting  duties  of 
his  official  position,  was  now  sinking  into  the  grave,  a 
martyr  to  an  overtasked  mind.  He  expired  on  the  15th  of 
March,  in  the  fifty-eighth  year  of  his  age,  after  having 
filled  with  honor  the  position  of  First  Judge  of  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas  for  the  City  and  County  of  New  York 
for  twenty  years.  He  was  a  man  of  perfect  uprightness 
and  great  refinement  of  character,  and  enjoyed,  through 
life,  the  high  respect  of  the  community.  In  his  earlier 
days  he  had  something  of  a  literary  turn,  which,  however, 
was  soon  quenched  under  the  dry  details  of  the  law,  and 
the  resolute  fidelity  with  which  he  gave  himself  up  to  the 
claims  of  his  profession. 

Some  time  after  this,  we  find  Mr.  Irving  again  in  his 
little  country  home,  whence  he  writes  to  his  sister,  Mrs. 
Paris : — 

My  return  to  the  cottage  was  a  return  to  peace  and  tranquillity  of  mind. 
I  laid  awake  early  this  morning,  with  the  little  birds  singing  before  the 
viixdow,  and  all  my  thoughts  and  plans  were  pleasant. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  317 

Yesterday  I  had  a  full  deputation  from  Tammany  Hall  at  the  cottage, 
informing  me  that  I  had  been  unanimously  and  vociferously  nominated  as 
Mayor,  and  hoping  that  I  would  consent  to  be  a  candidate.  Of  course  I 
declined. 

Mr.  Irving  had  scarcely  declined  this  proffered  nomina 
tion  for  an  incongruous  post,  when  he  received  a  letter 
from  President  Van  Buren,  informing  him  of  the  intention 
of  the  existing  Secretary  of  the  Navy  to  retire,  and  ten 
dering  him  the  appointment  as  his  successor. 

I  believe  you  to  possess  [writes  Mr.  Van  Buren,  with  whom  he  had 
maintained  intimate  and  friendly  personal  relations]  in  an  eminent  degree 
those  peculiar  qualities  which  should  distinguish  the  head  of  that  Depart 
ment,  and  the  successful  and  efficient  employment  of  which  is  so  impor 
tant  to  this  branch  of  the  public  service.  This  opinion  has  been  con 
firmed  by  a  full  and  confidential  conversation  with  your  friends  Paulding 
and  Kemble,  whose  judgment  and  sincerity  I  highly  respect,  and  the 
former,  of  whom  is  more  particularly  informed  in  regard  to  the  services 
to  be  rendered. 

Mr.  Irving,  however,  was  not  to  be  tempted  by  the  offer 
of  so  honorable  a  post  in  the  Cabinet  of  the  President. 

Mature  reflection  [he  writes  in  reply]  and  self-examination  have  served 
to  confirm  my  first  impulse,  which  was  to  decline  your  most  kind  and 
flattering  offer.  It  is  not  so  much  the  duties  of  the  post  that  I  fear,  as  I 
take  a  delight  in  full  occupation,  and  the  concerns  of  the  Navy  Depart 
ment  would  be  peculiarly  interesting  to  me ;  but  I  shrink  from  the  harsh 
cares  and  turmoils  of  public  and  political  life  at  Washington,  and  feel  that 
1  am  too  sensitive  to  endure  the  bitter  personal  hostility,  and  the  slanders 
and  misrepresentations  of  the  press,  which  beset  high  station  in  this  coun 
try.  This  argues,  I  confess,  a  weakness  of  spirit  and  a  want  of  true  phil- 


318  LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING. 

osophy;  but  I  speak  of  myself  as  I  am,  not  as  I  ought  to  be.  Perhaps, 
had  my  ambition  been  directed  toward  official  distinction,  I  might  have 
become  inured  to  the  struggle;  but  it  has  lain  in  a  different  and  more 
secluded  path,  and  has  nurtured  in  me  habits  of  quiet  and  a  love  of  peace 
of  mind  that  daily  unfit  me  more  and  more  for  the  collisions  of  the  world. 
I  really  believe  it  would  take  but  a  short  career  of  public  life  at  Wash 
ington  to  render  me  mentally  and  physically  a  perfect  wreck,  and  tc 
hurry  me  prematurely  into  old  age. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

DEATH  OF  PETER.  —  GOSSIPINGS  ABOUT  THE  COTTAGE.  —  BIS  INVESTMENTS  IN 
LANDS  UNPRODUCTIVE  OF  REVENUE.  —  ENGAGES  UPON  THE  CONQUEST  OF 
MEXICO.  —  SURRENDERS  THE  THEME  TO  PRESCOTT.  —  CORRESPONDENCE  ON 
THE  SUBJECT. — RECEIPT  OF  PRESCOTT'S  "HISTORY  OF  THE  CONQUEST  OF 
MEXICO.  "  —  LETTER  THEREUPON. 

HE  cottage  of  Mr.  Irving,  from  being  a  bachelor 
nest,  had  now  assumed  the  character  of  a  family 
mansion.  It  had  been  decided  that  Ebenezer 
should  give  up  the  house  in  town,  and  his  family,  hereto 
fore  fluctuating  inmates  of  "The  Boost,"  were  now  to 
make  it  their  permanent  home.  Ebenezer  and  Peter  still 
retained  apartments  in  the  city,  while  Washington,  to 
quote  from  one  of  the  last  letters  Peter  was  ever  to  write, 
addressed  to  Mrs.  Irving  at  Toledo,  "was  vibrating  be 
tween  town  and  country  like  the  pendulum  of  a  clock." 
In  a  letter  addressed  to  me  at  Toledo,  at  which  place  I 
remained  until  the  following  autumn,  when  I  resumed  my 
residence  at  New  York,  he  says  :  — 

We  are  cosily  quartered  at  The  Roost,  and  very  comfortable.  The  sea 
son  is  coming  out  in  all  its  beauty,  and  we  are  in  the  midst  of  birds  and 
blossoms  and  flowers.  I  look  forward  with  pleasure  to  the  prospect  of 

819 


320  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

seeing  you  and  Helen  at  the  cottage  in  the  course  of  the  summer,  and 
showing  you  what  a  capital  florist  and  horticulturist  and  agriculturist  1 
am  becoming.  I  beat  all  the  gentleman  farmers  in  my  neighborhood,  for 
I  can  manage  to  raise  my  vegetables  and  fruits  at  very  little  more  than 
twice  the  market  price. 

On  the  27th  of  June,  Washington  was  called  to  meet 
one  of  the  severest  blows  of  his  life  in  the  death  of  his 
cherished  brother  Peter.  His  danger  was  considered  im 
minent  but  a  very  few  days.  How  deeply  he  felt  this 
great  bereavement,  following  so  soon  after  the  death  of  his 
brother  John,  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  his 
sister,  Mrs.  Van  Wart,  dated  nearly  three  months  after, 
will  show :  — 

Every  day,  every  hour  I  feel  how  completely  Peter  and  myself  were 
intertwined  together  in  the  whole  course  of  our  existence.  Indeed,  the 
very  circumstance  of  our  both  having  never  been  married,  bound  us  more 
closely  together.  The  rest  of  the  family  were  married,  and  had  families 
of  their  own  to  engross  or  divide  their  sympathies,  and  to  weaken  the 
fraternal  tie ;  but  we  stood  in  the  original,  unimpaired  relation  to  each 
other,  and,  in  proportion  as  others  were  weaned  away  by  circumstances, 
we  grew  more  and  more  together.  I  was  not  conscious  this  was  the  case 
while  he  was  living,  but,  now  that  he  is  gone,  I  feel  how  all-important  he 
was  to  me.  A  dreary  feeling  of  loneliness  comes  on  me  at  times,  that  I 
reason  against  in  vain ;  for,  though  surrounded  by  affectionate  relatives, 
I  feel  that  none  can  be  what  he  was  to  me ;  none  can  take  so  thorough  an 
interest  in  my  concerns ;  to  none  can  I  so  confidingly  lay  open  my  every 
thought  and  feeling,  and  expose  every  fault  and  foible,  certain  of  such 
perfect  toleration  and  indulgence.  Since  our  dear  mother's  death,  I  have 
had  no  one  who  could  so  patiently  and  tenderly  bear  with  all  my  weak 
nesses  and  infirmities,  and  throw  over  every  error  the  mantle  of  affection, 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  321 

i  have  been  trying,  of  late,  to  resume  rny  pen,  and,  by  engaging  my  mind 
in  some  intellectual  task,  to  keep  it  from  brooding  over  these  melancholy 
themes ;  but  I  find  it  almost  impossible.  My  literary  pursuits  have  been 
so  often  carried  on  by  his  side,  and  under  his  eye — I  have  been  so  accus 
tomed  to  talk  over  every  plan  with  him,  and,  as  it  were,  to  think  aloud 
when  in  his  presence,  that  I  cannot  open  a  book,  or  take  up  a  paper,  or 
recall  a  past  vein  of  thought,  without  having  him  instantly  before  me, 
and  finding  myself  completely  overcome.  I  hope  and  trust  that,  as  the 
autumn  advances,  and  the  weather  becomes  cool  and  bracing,  I  shall  re 
gain  something  of  my  usual  vigor  of  body,  and  with  it  a  healthier  tone 
of  mind ;  at  any  rate,  I  will  not  trouble  you  again  with  such  sad  lamen 
tations. 

This  extract  is  dated  September  22d.  October  24th  he 
writes  to  the  same  sister :  — 

My  little  cottage  is  well  stocked.  I  have  Ebenezer's  five  girls,  and 
himself  also,  whenever  he  can  be  spared  from  town — sister  Catherine  and 
her  daughter — Mr.  Paris  occasionally — with  casual  visits  from  all  the  rest 
of  our  family  connection.  The  cottage,  therefore,  is  never  lonely.  It  is 
now  the  beautiful  autumnal  season,  and  the  weather  this  year  is  ex 
tremely  fine.  The  summer  has  extended  far  into  autumn ;  we  have  had 
no  sharp  frosts,  and  it  is  but  recently  that  we  have  made  fires.  The 
foliage  has  its  rich  and  variegated  autumnal  tints,  and  the  wide  landscape 
has  that  prevailing  golden  hue  that  gives  such  sober  magnificence  to  the 
decline  of  the  year.  The  girls  live  very  much  in  the  open  air.  The  re 
tired  situation  of  the  cottage,  with  its  secluded  walks,  quiet  glens,  and 
sheltering  groves,  enables  them  to  rove  about  without  fear  or  restraint 

December  1st,  he  writes  again  to  Mrs.  Van  Wart,  giv 
ing  her  this  glimpse  into  his  domestic  and  literary  con 
cerns  ;  — 

VOL.  n.— 31 


322  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

You  are  urgent  with  me,  my  dear  sister,  to  pay  you  a  visit  in  the 
spring.  You  have  no  idea  how  completely  I  am  rooted  here.  I  cannot 
afford  any  more  to  travel.  A  considerable  part  of  my  means  is  invested 
in  land,  which  on  the  present  moment  is  unproductive  of  revenue,  and  I 
have  to  economize  on  various  points,  to  keep  from  going  too  much  behind 
hand.  I  cannot,  as  formerly,  carry  my  home  with  me,  and  limit  my  ex 
penses  to  my  personal  expenditure.  Wherever  I  go,  my  cottage  must  be 
kept  up ;  so  that  my  travelling  expenditures  would  be  an  additional  drain 
on  my  purse.  What  has  made  me  feel  rather  poor  of  late,  and  cautious 
as  to  extra  expenses,  is  the  circumstance  that  for  a  long  time  past  I  have 
been  unable  to  exercise  my  pen;  until  at  length  I  became  despondent, 
and  thought  the  vein  had  entirely  deserted  me.  This,  of  course,  would 
dry  up  my  usual  source  of  support,  and  throw  me  entirely  on  the  income 
to  be  derived  from  my  actual  capital,  which,  as  I  have  already  observed, 
is  in  a  great  measure  invested  in  unproductive  property.  Happily,  within 
the  last  month,  I  have  been  once  more  enabled  to  get  my  pen  into  motion ; 
and  the  effect  has  been  more  salutary  on  my  spirits,  as  well  as  cheering 
to  my  prospects. 

Mr.  Irving  was  now  busy  upon  the  "  History  of  the 
Conquest  of  Mexico,"  and  it  was  upon  this  theme  that  he 
was  exercising  his  pen.  He  had  not  only  commenced  the 
work,  but  had  made  a  rough  draft  to  form  the  ground 
work  of  the  first  volume,  when  he  went  to  New  York  to 
procure  or  consult  some  books  on  the  subject.  He  was 
engaged  in  "  The  City  Library,"  as  it  is  commonly  desig 
nated,  though  its  official  style  is  "  The  New  York  Society 
Library,"  then  temporarily  in  Chambers  Street,  when  he 
was  accosted  by  Mr.  Joseph  G.  Cogswell,  the  eminent 
scholar,  afterward  so  long  and  honorably  connected  witk 
the  Astor  Library.  It  was  from  this  gentleman  that  Mr, 


OF  WASHINGTON  IE  VINO.  323 

Irving  first  learned  that  Mr.  Prescott,  who  had  a  few 
months  before  gained  a  proud  name  on  both  sides  of  the 
Atlantic  by  his  "  History  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,"  now 
had  the  work  in  contemplation  upon  which  he  had  actu 
ally  commenced.  Cogswell  first  sounded  him  on  the  part 
of  Mr.  Prescott,  to  know  what  subject  he  was  occupied 
upon,  as  he  did  not  wish  to  come  again  across  the  same 
ground  with  him.  Mr.  Irving  asked:  "Is  Mr.  Prescott 
engaged  upon  an  American  subject? "  " He  is,"  was  the 
reply.  "What  is  it?  Is  it  the  Conquest  of  Mexico?" 
Mr.  Irving  rapidly  asked.  "It  is,"  answered  Cogswell 
"  Well,  then,"  said  Mr.  Irving,  "  I  am  engaged  upon  that- 
subject,  but  tell  Mr.  Prescott  I  abandon  it  to  him,  and  I 
am  happy  to  have  this  opportunity  of  testifying  my  high 
esteem  for  his  talents,  and  my  sense  of  the  very  courteous 
manner  in  which  he  has  spoken  of  myself  and  my  writings 
in  his  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  though  they  interfered 
with  a  part  of  the  subject  of  his  history." 

In  a  subsequent  conversation,  Mr.  Irving  learned  from 
Mr.  Cogswell  that  Mr.  Prescott  had  not  commenced  the 
work,  but  had  merely  collected  materials  for  it.  He  did 
not,  however,  revoke  what  he  had  said,  but  threw  by  his 
pen,  and  gave  up  the  task  on  which  he  had  been  occupied 
during  the  autumn  and  winter. 

It  was  not,  however,  without  a  pang  that  he  surren 
dered  so  glorious  a  theme  ;  and  I  think  that  on  the  same 
day  in  which  he  told  me  what  I  have  related  above,  he 
mentioned  to  me  that  he  had  been  looking  over  some 


324  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

papers  in  the  morning,  and  had  come  across  his  com 
mencement  of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico  ;  that  he  read 
over  what  he  had  written,  and,  in  a  fit  of  vexation  at 
having  lost  the  magnificent  theme,  destroyed  the  manu 
script. 

With  this  preface,  I  introduce  the  following  corre 
spondence  between  him  and  Mr.  Prescott,  alike  honorable 
to  both  parties.  The  first  letter  is  from  Mr.  Prescott :  — 

BOSTON,  December  31,  1838. 
MY  DEAR  SIR:  — 

If  you  will  allow  one  to  address  you  so  familiarly,  who  has  not  the 
pleasure  of  your  personal  acquaintance,  though  he  feels  as  if  he  had 
known  you  for  a  long  time.  Our  friend,  Mr.  Cogswell,  who  is  here  on  a 
short  visit,  mentioned  to  me  a  conversation  which  he  had  with  you  re 
specting  the  design  I  had  formed  of  giving  an  account  of  the  Conquest  of 
Mexico  and  Peru.  I  hope  you  will  excuse  me  if  I  tell  you  how  the  matter 
stands  with  me. 

Soon  after  I  had  despatched  their  Catholic  Highnesses,  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella,  I  found  the  want  of  my  old  companions  in  the  long  hours  of  an 
idle  man's  life ;  and  as  I  looked  around  for  something  else,  the  history  of 
Cortes  and  Pizarro  struck  me  as  the  best  subject,  from  its  growing  out  of 
the  period  I  had  become  familiar  with,  as  well  as  from  its  relation  to  our 
own  country.  I  found,  too,  I  had  peculiar  facilities  for  getting  such 
books  and  MSS.  as  I  needed  from  Madrid,  through  the  kindness  of  Mr. 
Calderon,  whom  you  know.  The  only  doubts  on  the  subject  I  had,  were 
respecting  ycur  designs  in  the  same  way,  since  you  had  already  written 
the  adventures  of  the  early  discoverers.  I  thought  of  writing  you,  to 
learn  from  you  your  intentions;  but  I  was  afraid  it  would  seem  imperti 
nent  in  a  stranger  to  pry  into  your  affairs.  I  made  inquiries,  however,  of 
several  of  your  friends,  and  could  not  learn  that  you  had  any  purpose  of 
occupying  yourself  with  the  subject.  And  as  you  had  never  made  any 
public  intimation  of  the  sort,  I  believe,  and  several  years  had  elapsed 


OF  WASHINGTON  IEVING.  325 

since  your  last  publication  of  the  kind,  during  which  your  attention  had 
been  directed  in  another  channel,  I  concluded  that  you  had  abandoned 
the  intention,  if  you  had  ever  formed  it.  I  therefore  made  up  my  mind 
to  go  on  with  it ;  and  as  I  proposed  to  give  a  pretty  thorough  preliminary 
view  of  the  state  of  civilization  in  Mexico  and  Peru  previous  to  the  Con 
quest,  I  determined  to  spare  no  pains  or  expense  in  collecting  materials. 
I  have  remitted  £300  to  Madrid  for  the  purchase  and  copying  of  books 
and  MSS.,  and  have  also  sent  for  Lord  Kingsborough's  and  such  other 
works  relating  to  Mexico  as  I  can  get  from  London.  I  have  also  obtained 
letters  to  individuals  in  Mexico,  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  what  may 
be  of  importance  to  me  there.  Some  of  the  works  from  London  have  ar 
rived,  and  the  drafts  from  Madrid  show  that  my  orders  are  executing  there. 
Such  works  as  can  be  got  here,  in  a  pretty  good  collection  in  the  College 
Library,  I  have  already  examined,  and  wait  only  for  my  books  from 
Spain.  This  is  the  state  of  affairs,  now  that  I  have  learned  from  Mr.  C. 
that  you  had  originally  proposed  to  treat  this  same  subject,  and  that  you 
requested  him  to  say  to  me  that  you  should  relinquish  it  in  my  favor.  I 
cannot  sufficiently  express  to  you  my  sense  of  your  courtesy,  which  I  can 
very  well  appreciate,  as  I  know  the  mortification  it  would  have  occasioned 
me,  if,  contrary  to  my  expectations,  I  had  found  you  on  the  ground ;  for 
I  am  but  a  dull  sailer  from  the  embarrassments  I  labor  under,  and  should 
have  found  but  sorry  gleanings  in  the  field  which  you  had  once  thor 
oughly  burnt  over,  as  they  say  in  the  West.  I  fear  the  public  will  not 
feel  so  well  pleased  as  myself  by  this  liberal  conduct  on  your  part,  and  am 
not  sure  that  I  should  have  a  right,  in  their  eyes,  to  avail  myself  of  it. 
But  I  trust  you  will  think  differently,  when  I  accept  your  proffered  cour 
tesy  in  the  same  cordial  spirit  in  which  it  was  given.  It  will  be  confer 
ring  a  still  further  favor  on  me,  if  you  will  allow  me  occasionally,  when  I 
may  find  the  want  of  it,  to  ask  your  advice  in  the  progress  of  the  work. 
There  are  few  persons  among  us  who  have  paid  much  attention  to  these 
studies,  and  no  one,  here  or  elsewhere,  so  familiar  as  yourself  with  the 
track  of  Spanish  adventure  in  the  New  World,  and  so  well  qualified,  cer 
tainly,  to  give  advice  to  a  comparatively  new  hand.  Do  not  fear  that 
this  will  expose  you  to  a  troublesome  correspondent.  I  have  never  been 


326  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

addicted  to  much  letter  writing,  though,  from  the  specimen  before  you,  1 
am  afraid  you  will  think  those  I  do  write  are  somewhat  of  the  longest. 

Believe  me,  dear  sir,  with  great  respect,  your  obliged  and  obedient 
servant,  WM.  H.  PRESCOTT. 

WASHINGTON  IRVING,  Esq. 

P.  S. — Will  you  permit  me  to  add,  that  if  you  have  any  materials  in 
your  own  library,  bearing  on  this  subject,  that  cannot  be  got  here,  and 
that  you  have  no  occasion  for  yourself,  it  will  be  a  great  favor  if  you  will 
dispose  of  them  to  me. 

Mr.  Irving  responded  as  follows  : — 

NEW  YORK,  January  18,  1839. 
MY  DEAE  SIB  : — 

Your  letter  met  with  some  delay  in  reaching  me,  and  since  the  receipt 
of  it,  I  have  been  hovering  between  town  and  country,  so  as  to  have  no 
quiet  leisure  for  an  earlier  reply. 

I  had  always  intended  to  write  an  account  of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico, 
as  a  suite  to  my  "Columbus,"  but  left  Spain  without  making  the  requisite 
researches.  The  unsettled  life  I  subsequently  led  for  some  years,  and 
the  interruptions  to  my  literary  plans  by  other  occupations,  made  me 
defer  the  undertaking  from  year  to  year.  Indeed,  the  more  I  con 
sidered  the  subject,  the  more  I  became  aware  of  the  necessity  of  devot 
ing  to  it  great  labor,  patient  research,  and  watchful  discrimination  to 
get  at  the  truth  and  to  dispel  the  magnificent  mirage  with  which  it 
is  enveloped ;  for,  unless  this  were  done,  a  work,  however  well  executed 
in  point  of  literary  merit,  would  be  liable  to  be  subverted  and  super 
seded  by  subsequent  works  founded  on  those  documentary  evidences 
that  might  (be)  dug  out  of  the  chaotic  archives  of  Spain.  These  considera 
tions  loomed  into  great  obstacles  in  my  mind,  and,  amid  the  hurry  of 
other  matters,  delayed  me  in  putting  my  hand  to  the  enterprise.  About 
three  years  since  I  made  an  attempt  at  it,  and  set  one  of  my  nephews  to 
act  as  pioneer,  and  get  together  materials  under  my  direction ;  but  his  own 
concerns  called  him  elsewhere,  and  the  matter  was  again  postponed 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  327 

Last  autumn,  after  a  fit  of  deep  depression,  feeling  the  want  of  sometLing 
to  arouse  and  exercise  my  mind,  I  again  recurred  to  this  subject,  fearing 
that,  if  I  waited  to  collect  materials,  I  should  never  take  hold  of  the  theme ; 
and,  knowing  my  own  temperament  and  habits  of  mind,  I  determined  to 
dash  into  it  at  once,  sketch  out  a  narrative  of  the  whole  enterprise,  using 
Solis,  Herrera,  and  Bernal  Bias  as  my  guide  books,  and,  having  thus  ac 
quainted  myself  with  the  whole  ground,  and  kindled  myself  into  a  heat  by 
exercise  of  drafting  the  story,  to  endeavor  to  strengthen,  correct,  enrich, 
and  authenticate  my  work,  by  materials  from  every  source  within  my 
reach.  I  accordingly  set  to  work,  and  had  made  it  my  daily  occupation 
for  about  three  months,  and  sketched  out  the  groundwork  for  the  first 
volume,  when  I  learned  from  Mr.  Cogswell  that  you  had  undertaken  the 
same  enterprise.  I  at  once  felt  how  much  more  justice  the  subject  would 
receive  at  your  hands.  Ever  since  I  had  been  meddling  with  the  theme, 
its  grandeur  and  magnificence  had  been  growing  upon  me,  and  I  had  felt 
more  and  more  doubtful  whether  I  should  be  able  to  treat  it  conscientiously 
— that  is  to  say,  with  the  extensive  research  and  thorough  investigation 
which  it  merited.  The  history  of  Mexico  prior  to  the  discovery  and  con 
quest,  and  the  actual  state  of  its  civilization  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  in 
vasion,  are  questions  in  the  highest  degree  curious  and  interesting,  yet 
difficult  to  be  ascertained  clearly,  from  the  false  lights  thrown  upon  them. 
Even  the  writings  of  Padre  Sahagun  perplex  me  as  to  the  degree  of  faith 
to  be  placed  in  them.  These  themes  are  connected  with  the  grand  enigma 
that  rests  upon  the  primitive  population  and  civilization  of  the  American 
continents,  and  of  which  the  singular  monuments  and  remains  scattered 
throughout  the  wilderness  serve  out  as  tantalizing  indications.  The  man 
ner  in  which  you  have  executed  your  noble  history  of  Ferdinand  and  Isa 
bella  gave  me  at  once  an  assurance  that  you  were  the  man  to  undertake 
this  subject;  your  letter  shows  that  1  was  not  wrong  in  the  conviction,  and 
that  you  have  already  set  to  work  on  the  requisite  preparations.  In  at  once 
yielding  up  the  theme  to  you,  I  feel  that  I  am  but  doing  my  duty  in  leav 
ing  one  of  the  most  magnificent  themes  in  American  history  to  be  treated 
by  one  who  will  build  up  from  it  an  enduring  monument  in  the  literature 
of  our  country.  I  only  hope  that  I  may  live  to  see  your  work  executed, 


328  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

and  to  read  in  it  an  authentic  account  of  that  conquest,  and  a  satisfactory 
discussion  of  the  various  questions  connected  with  Mexico  and  the  Mexi 
cans,  which  since  my  boyhood  have  been  full  of  romantic  charm  to  me, 
but  which  while  they  .excited  my  imagination,  have  ever  perplexed  my 
judgment. 

I  am  sorry  that  I  have  no  works  to  offer  you  that  you  have  not  in  the 
Boston  libraries.  I  have  mentioned  the  authors  I  was  making  use  of  ; 
they  are  to  be  found  in  the  Boston  Athenaeum,  though  I  doubt  not  yon 
have  them  in  your  own  possession.  While  in  Madrid,  I  had  a  few  chap 
ters  of  Padre  Sahagun  copied  out  for  me,  relating  merely  to  some  points 
of  the  Spanish  invasion.  His  work  you  will  find  in  Lord  Kingsborough's 
collection ;  it  professes  to  give  a  complete  account  of  Mexico  prior  to  the 
Conquest — its  public  institutions,  trades,  callings,  customs,  etc.,  etc. 
Should  I  find  among  my  books  any  that  may  be  likely  to  be  of  service, 
I  will  send  them  to  you.  In  the  meantime,  do  not  hesitate  to  command 
my  services  in  any  way  you  may  think  proper. 

I  am  scrawling  this  letter  in  great  haste,  as  you  will  doubtless  perceive, 
but  beg  you  will  take  it  as  a  proof  of  the  sincere  and  very  high  respect 
and  esteem  with  which  I  am  your  friend  and  servant, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 
WM.  H.  PRESCOTT,  Esq. 

Mr.  Prescott  rejoins :  — 

BOSTON,  j  anuary  35, 1839. 
MY  DEAR  SIR:  — 

You  will  be  alarmed  at  again  seeing  an  epistle  from  me  so  soon ;  but  I 
cannot  refrain  from  replying  to  your  very  kind  communication.  I  have 
read  your  letter  with  much  interest,  and,  I  may  truly  say,  that  part  of  it 
which  animadverts  on  the  importance  of  the  theme,  as  illustrating  the 
Mexican  antiquities,  with  some  dismay.  I  fear  you  will  be  sadly  disap 
pointed  if  you  expect  to  see  a  solution,  by  me,  of  those  vexed  questions 
which  have  bewildered  the  brains  of  so  many  professed  antiquaries.  My 
fingers  are  too  clumsy  to  unravel  such  a  snarl.  All  I  propose  to  do  in 
this  part  of  the  subject,  therefore,  is  to  present  to  the  reader  such  a  view 
of  the  institutions  and  civilization  of  the  conquered  people  as  will  interest 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  329 

him  in  their  fortunes.  To  do  this,  it  will  not  be  necessary,  I  hope,  to  in 
volve  myself  in  those  misty  speculations,  which  require  better  sight  than 
mine  to  penetrate;  but  only  to  state  facts,  as  far  as  they  can  be  gathered 
from  authentic  story.  For  this  part  of  the  subject  I  have  not  attempted, 
therefore,  to  collect  MSS.,  of  which  I  suppose  there  is  a  great  number  in 
the  libraries  of  Mexico — at  least  there  was  in  Clavigero's  time ;  but  I  shall 
content  myself  with  the  examination  of  such  works  as  have  been  before 
the  public,  including,  indeed,  the  compilation  of  Lord  Kingsborough,  and 
the  great  French  work,  "  Antiquites  Mexicaines,"  since  published;  the 
chief  value  of  both  which,  I  suspect,  excepting  the  Chronicles  of  Sahaguij 
in  the  former,  consists  in  their  pictorial  illustrations.  My  chief  object  h 
the  Conquest;  and  the  materials  I  am  endeavoring  to  collect  are  with  the 
view  to  the  exhibition  of  this  in  the  most  authentic  light.  It  will  give 
you  satisfaction  to  learn  that  my  efforts  in  Spain  promise  to  be  attended 
with  perfect  success.  I  received  letters,  last  week,  from  Madrid,  inform 
ing  me  that  the  Academy  of  History,  at  the  instance  of  Senor  Navarrete, 
had  granted  my  application  to  have  copies  taken  of  any  and  all  MSS.  in 
their  possession,  having  relation  to  the  conquests  of  Mexico  and  Peru, 
and  had  appointed  one  of  their  body  to  carry  this  into  effect.  This  per 
son  is  a  German,  named  Lembke,  the  author  of  a  work  on  the  early 
history  of  Spain,  which  one  of  the  English  journals,  I  remember,  rapped 
me  over  the  knuckles  for  not  having  seen.  This  learned  Theban  happens 
to  be  in  Madrid  for  the  nonce,  pursuing  some  investigations  of  his  own, 
and  he  has  taken  charge  of  mine,  like  a  true  German,  inspecting  every 
thing,  and  selecting  just  what  has  reference  to  my  subject.  In  this  way 
he  has  been  employed  with  four  copyists,  as  he  writes  me,  since  July,  and 
has  amassed  a  quantity  of  unpublished  original  documents  illustrative  of 
the  Mexican  Conquest,  which,  he  writes  me,  will  place  the  expedition  in 
a  new  and  authentic  light.  He  has  already  sent  off  two  boxes  of  these 
MSS.  for  me  to  Cadiz,  and  is  now  employed  in  hunting  up  the  materials 
relating  to  Peru,  in  which,  he  says,  the  library  appears  to  be  equally  rich. 
I  wish  he  may  not  be  too  sanguine,  and  that  the  MSS.  may  not  fall  into 
the  hands  of  Carlists  or  Christinos,  who  would  probably  work  them  up 
into  musket  waddings  in  much  less  time  than  they  were  copying.  The 


330  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

specifications  of  MSS.  furnished  me  by  Dr.  Lembke  makes  me  feel  nearly 
independent  of  Mexico,  with  which  the  communications  are  now  even 
more  obstructed  than  with  Spain.  I  have  endeavored  to  open  them,  how 
ever,  through  Mr.  Poinsett,  and  through  the  Barings,  and  cannot  but 
hope  I  shall  succeed  through  one  or  the  other  channel. 

I  had  no  idea  of  your  having  looked  into  the  subject  so  closely  yourself, 
still  less  that  you  had  so  far  broken  ground  on  it.  I  regret,  now,  that  1 
had  not  communicated  with  you  earlier,  in  a  direct  way,  as  it  might  have 
saved  both,  or  rather  one  of  us,  some  previous  preparation ;  for,  during 
the  summer  and  autumn,  I  have  been  occupied  with  the  investigation  of 
the  early  Mexican  history,  having  explored  all  the  sources  within  my 
reach  here,  and  being  stopped  by  the  want  of  them.  Now  that  I  have 
gone  so  far  with  my  preparations,  I  can  only  acknowledge  your  great 
courtesy  toward  me  with  my  hearty  thanks ;  for  I  know  well  that  what 
ever  advantages  I  might  have  acquired  on  the  score  of  materials,  would 
have  been  far,  very  far  outweighed  by  the  superiority,  in  all  other  re 
spects,  of  whatever  might  fall  from  your  pen.  And  your  relinquishing 
the  ground  seems  to  impose  on  me  an  additional  responsibility  to  try  to 
make  your  place  good,  from  which  a  stouter  heart  than  mine  may  well 
shrink.  I  trust,  however,  in  you  I  shall  find  a  generous  critic ;  and  allow 
me  to  add,  with  sincerity,  that  the  kind  words  you  have  said  of  the  only 
child  of  my  brain,  have  gratified  and  touched  me  more  deeply  than  any 
thing  that  has  yet  reached  me  from  my  countrymen. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  sir,  with  sincere  respect,  your  friend  and  servant, 

WM.  H.  PBESCOTT. 
WASHINGTON  IRVING,  Esq. 

It  was  about  five  years  after  this  correspondence,  that 
Mr.  Irving,  then  in  Madrid,  received  from  Mr.  Prescott  a 
copy  of  his  "  History  of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico,"  in  the 
Preface  to  which  he  makes  public  acknowledgments  to 
him  for  his  surrender  of  the  subject.  "  I  need  not  say," 
writes  Mr.  Irving  to  me,  in  noticing  its  receipt,  "how 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  331 

much  I  am  delighted  with  the  work.  It  well  sustains  the 
high  reputation  acquired  by  the  History  of  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella."  Then,  adverting  to  the  terms  of  Mr.  Pres- 
cott's  handsome  acknowledgment  in  the  Preface,  to  which 
I  had  called  his  attention,  he  adds  : — 

1  doubt  whether  Mr.  Prescott  was  aware  of  the  extent  of  the  sacrifice  I 
made.  This  was  a  favorite  subject,  which  had  delighted  my  imagination 
ever  since  I  was  a  boy.  I  had  brought  home  books  from  Spain  to  aid  me 
in  it,  and  looked  upon  it  as  the  pendant  to  my  "  Columbus."  When  I 
gave  it  up  to  him,  I  in  a  manner  gave  him  up  my  bread,  for  I  depended 
upon  the  profit  of  it  to  recruit  my  waning  finances.  I  had  no  other  sub 
ject  at  hand  to  supply  its  place.  I  was  dismounted  from  my  cheval  de 
bataille,  and  have  never  been  completely  mounted  since.  Had  I  accom 
plished  that  work,  my  whole  pecuniary  situation  would  have  been  altered. 
.  When  I  made  the  sacrifice,  it  was  not  with  a  view  to  com 
pliments  or  thanks,  but  from  a  warm  and  sudden  impulse.  I  am  not  sorry 
for  having  made  it.  Mr.  Prescott  has  justified  the  opinion  I  expressed  at 
the  time,  that  he  would  treat  the  subject  with  more  close  and  ample  re 
search  than  I  should  probably  do,  and  would  produce  a  work  more  thor 
oughly  worthy  of  the  theme.  He  has  produced  a  work  that  does  honor 
to  himself  and  his  country,  and  I  wish  him  the  full  enjoyment  of  his 
laurels. 

The  plan  I  had  intended  to  pursue  was  different  from  that  which  he  has 
adopted.  I  should  not  have  had  any  preliminary  dissertation  on  the  his 
tory,  civilization,  etc.,  of  the  natives,  as  I  find  such  dissertations  hurried 
over,  if  not  skipped  entirely,  by  a  great  class  of  readers,  who  are  eager 
for  narrative  and  action.  I  should  have  carried  on  the  reader  with  the 
discoverers  and  conquerors,  letting  the  newly  explored  countries  break 
upon  him  as  they  did  upon  them;  describing  objects,  places,  customs,  as 
they  awakened  curiosity  and  interest,  and  required  to  be  explained  for  the 
conduct  of  the  story.  The  reader  should  first  have  an  idea  of  the  superior 
civilization  of  the  people  from  the  great  buildings  and  temples  of  stona 


332  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

and  lime  that  brightened  along  the  coast,  and  "shone  like  silver."  He 
should  have  had  vague  accounts  of  Mexico  from  the  people  on  the  sea 
board;  from  the  messengers  of  Montezuma.  His  interest  concerning  it 
should  have  increased  as  he  went  on,  deriving  ideas  of  its  grandeur, 
power,  riches,  etc.,  from  the  Tlascalans,  etc.  Every  step,  as  he  accompa 
nied  the  conquerors  on  their  march,  would  have  been  a  step  developing 
some  striking  fact,  yet  the  distance  would  still  have  been  full  of  magnifi 
cent  mystery.  He  should  next  have  seen  Mexico  from  the  mountains,  far 
below  him,  shining  with  its  vast  edifices,  its  glassy  lakes,  its  far-stretching 
causeways,  its  sunny  plain,  surrounded  by  snow-topped  volcanoes.  Still 
it  would  have  been  vague  in  its  magnificence.  At  length  he  should  have 
marched  in  with  the  conquerors,  full  of  curiosity  and  wonder,  on  every 
side  beholding  objects  of  novelty,  indicating  a  mighty  people,  distinct  in 
manners,  arts,  and  civilization  from  all  the  races  of  the  Old  World.  Du 
ring  the  residence  in  the  capital,  all  these  matters  would  have  been  fully 
described  and  explained  in  connection  with  the  incidents  of  the  story. 
In  this  way  the  reader,  like  the  conquerors,  would  have  become  gradually 
acquainted  with  Mexico  and  the  Mexicans ;  and  by  the  time  the  conquest 
was  achieved,  he  would  have  been  familiar  with  the  country,  without 
having  been  detained  by  long  dissertations,  so  repulsive  to  the  more  indo 
lent  class  of  readers. 

My  intention  also  was,  to  study  the  different  characters  of  the  dramatis 
personce,  so  as  to  bring  them  out  in  strong  relief,  and  to  have  kept  them, 
as  much  as  possible,  in  view  throughout  the  work.  It  is  surprising  how 
quickly  distinctive  characteristics  may  be  caught  from  a  few  incidental 
words  in  old  documents,  letters,  etc.,  and  how  the  development  of  them 
and  the  putting  them  in  action  give  life  and  reality  to  a  narrative.  Most 
of  the  traits  that  give  individuality  to  Columbus,  in  my  biography  of 
him,  were  gathered  from  slightly  mentioned  facts  in  his  journals,  letters, 
etc.,  which  had  remained  almost  unnoticed  by  former  writers  on  the 
subject. 

However,  I  am  running  on  into  idle  "  scribble  scrabble  "  about  a  mat 
ter  now  passed  away,  and  which  I  would  not  utter  to  any  one  but  your 
self,  who  are  becoming  in  a  manner  my  father  confessor.  My  plan  might 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  333 

have  had  an  advantage  in  some  respects;  it  might  have  thrown  a  more 
poetical  interest  over  the  work ;  but  the  plan  of  Mr.  Prescott  is  superior 
in  other  respects ;  and  I  feel  I  never  should  have  wrought  out  a  work  so 
"worthy  of  all  acceptation,"  as  that  which  he  has  given  to  the  public. 

The  letter  from  which  I  take  this  extract  is  dated  Mad 
rid,  March  24,  1844,  and  is  marked  (Private) ;  but,  now 
that  both  are  gone,  I  have  felt  at  liberty  to  give  this  in 
teresting  portion  of  its  contents. 


CHAPTEB  XXni. 


ENGAGES  TO  CONTRIBUTE  MONTHLY  TO  THE  "  KNICKERBOCKER  MAGAZINE." — 
HIS  POSITION  RESPECTING  AN  INTERNATIONAL  COPY-RIGHT  LAW,  IN  A  LETTER 
TO  THE  EDITOR. — PRESCOTT'S  VIEW. — OLD  AND  NEW  TARRYTOWN. — PICTURE 
OF  HIS  NEIGHBORHOOD. — BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH  OF  GOLDSMITH  FOR  HAR 
PER'S  "FAMILY  LIBRARY." — EBENEZER  IRVING. — BIOGRAPHY  OF  MARGARET 

DAVIDSON. — ANECDOTE  OF  CLARK  AND  GEOFFREY  CRAYON. 


AVING  surrendered  the  theme  of  the  Conquest 
of  Mexico,  as  we  have  seen  at  the  close  of  the 
last  chapter,  Mr.  Irving  was  induced  to  enter 
into  an  engagement  with  the  proprietors  of  the  "  Knicker 
bocker,"  a  magazine  published  in  the  city  of  New  York, 
to  contribute  monthly  to  its  pages  ;  they  agreeing  upon 
stated  payments  at  the  rate  of  two  thousand  dollars  per 
annum.  In  the  March  number  of  1839,  in  which  he  in 
troduces  himself  to  the  public,  he  holds  the  following 
language  to  its  editor,  Louis  Gaylord  Clark,  so  long  as 
sociated  with  its  fortunes  :  — 

SIR:  — 

I  have  observed,  as  a  man  advances  in  life,  he  is  subject  to  a  kind  of 
plethora  of  the  mind,  doubtless  occasioned  by  the  vast  accumulation  of 
wisdom  and  experience  upon  the  brain.  Hence  he  is  apt  to  become  nar 
rative  and  admonitory — that  is  to  say,  fond  of  telling  long  stories  and  of 

334 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING.         .        335 

doling  out  advice,  to  the  small  profit  and  great  annoyance  of  his  friends. 
As  I  have  a  great  horror  of  becoming  the  oracle,  or,  more  technically 
speaking,  the  "bore"  of  the  domestic  circle,  and  would  much  rather 
bestow  my  wisdom  and  tediousness  upon  the  world  at  large,  I  have  always 
sought  to  ease  off  this  surcharge  of  the  intellect  by  means  of  my  pen,  and 
hence  have  inflicted  divers  gossiping  volumes  upon  the  patience  of  the 
public.  / 1  am  tired,  however,  of  writing  volumes^  they  do  not  afford  ex 
actly  the  relief  I  require ;  there  is  too  much  preparation,  arrangement, 
and  parade  in  this  set  form  of  coming  before  the  public.  I  am  growing 
too  indolent  and  unambitious  for  anything  that  requires  labor  or  dis 
play.  /I  have  thought,  therefore,  of  securing  to  myself  a  snug  corner  in 
some  periodical  work,  where  I  might,  as  it  were,  loll  at  my  ease  in  my 
elbow-chair,  and  chat  sociably  with  the  public,  as  with  an  old  friend,  on 
any  chance  subject  that  might  pop  into  my  brain.  / 


Few  would  imagine  from  the  tone  of  this  extract,  at 
what  expense  of  feeling  he  had  just  given  up  the  task  of 
"writing  volumes,"  and  bound  himself  to  the  irksome 
obligations  of  periodical  labor.  To  have  to  draw  upon  a 
capricious  fancy  once  a  month  for  an  article,  was  not  a 
position  he  would  have  sought,  but  for  the  necessity 
pressing  upon  him  for  additional  income.  /Irksome  as 
the  task  was,  however,  and  notwithstanding  the  returns 
were  less  prompt  than  he  had  anticipated,  his  good-will 
to  the  magazine  induced  him  to  continue  his  connection 
with  it  for  two  years,  j  He  brought  it  to  an  end  in  March, 
1841,  with  the  article  of  "Don  Juan:  a  Spectral  Ee- 
search."  A  majority  of  his  contributions  to  the  "  Knick 
erbocker,"  including  this  article,  were  long  afterward 
collected  by  him,  and  incorporated  in  a  little  volume, 


336        .  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

published  in  1855,  entitled  "Wolfert's  Boost,"  the  ex 
traordinary  sale  of  which  made  ample  amends  for  any 
shortcomings  of  the  magazine. 

The  most  felicitous,  perhaps,  of  all  his  contributions  to 
this  periodical,  was  "  The  Birds  of  Spring,"  in  the  May 
number  of  1839,  containing  the  exquisite  sketch  of  "  The 
Bobolink,"  which  was  extracted  into  almost  every  paper 
in  the  Union. 

In  January,  1840,  Mr.  Irving  addressed  the  following 
letter  to  the  editor  of  the  "  Knickerbocker,"  in  which  he 
defines  his  position  on  the  subject  of  an  international 
copy-right  law,  so  long  and  so  ineffectually  pressed  upon 
Congress  :  — 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Knickerbocker:  — 

SIR,  —  Having  seen  it  stated  more  than  once,  in  the  public  papers,  that 
I  declined  subscribing  my  name  to  the  petition  presented  to  Congress 
during  a  former  session,  for  an  act  of  international  copy-right,  I  beg 
leave,  through  your  pages,  to  say,  in  explanation,  that  I  declined,  not 
from  any  hostility  or  indifference  to  the  object  of  the  petition,  in  favor  of 
which  my  sentiments  have  always  been  openly  expressed,  but  merely 
because  I  did  not  relish  the  phraseology  of  the  petition,  and  because  I 
expected  to  see  the  measure  pressed  from  another  quarter.  I  wrote  about 
the  same  time,  however  to  members  of  Congress,  in  support  of  the  appli 
cation. 

As  no  other  petition  has  been  sent  to  me  for  signature,  and  as  silence 
on  my  part  may  be  misconstrued,  I  now,  as  far  as  my  name  may  be 
thought  of  any  value,  enroll  it  among  those  who  pray  most  earnestly  to 
Congress  for  this  act  of  international  equity.  I  consider  it  due,  not 
merely  to  foreign  authors,  to  whose  lucubrations  we  are  so  deeply  indebted 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  337 

for  constant  instruction  and  delight,  but  to  our  own  native  authors,  who 
are  implicated  in  the  effects  of  the  wrong  done  by  our  present  laws. 

For  myself,  my  literary  career  as  an  author  is  drawing  to  a  close,  and 
cannot  be  much  affected  by  any  disposition  of  this  question ;  but  we  have 
a  young  literature  springing  up,  and  daily  unfolding  itself  with  wonder 
ful  energy  and  luxuriance,  which,  as  it  promises  to  shed  a  grace  and 
lustre  upon  the  nation,  deserves  all  its  fostering  care.  How  much  this 
growing  literature  may  be  retarded  by  the  present  state  of  our  copy-right 
law,  I  had  recently  an  instance  in  the  cavalier  treatment  of  a  work  of 
merit  written  by  an  American,  who  had  not  yet  established  a  command 
ing  name  in  the  literary  market.  I  undertook,  as  a  friend,  to  dispose  of 
it  for  him,  but  found  it  impossible  to  get  an  offer  from  any  of  our  prin 
cipal  publishers.  They  even  declined  to  publish  it  at  the  author's  cost, 
alleging  that  it  was  not  worth  their  while  to  trouble  themselves  about 
native  works  of  doubtful  success,  while  they  could  pick  and  choose  among 
the  successful  works  daily  poured  out  by  the  British  press,  for  which  they 
had  nothing  to  pay  for  copy-right.  This  simple  fact  spoke  volumes  to  me, 
as  I  trust  it  will  do  to  all  who  peruse  these  lines.  I  do  not  mean  to  enter 
into  the  discussion  of  a  subject  that  has  already  been  treated  so  volum 
inously.  I  will  barely  observe,  that  I  have  seen  few  arguments  advanced 
against  the  proposed  act,  that  ought  to  weigh  with  intelligent  and  high- 
minded  men ;  while  I  have  noticed  some  that  have  been  urged,  so  sordid 
and  selfish  in  their  nature,  and  so  narrow  in  the  scope  of  their* policy,  as 
almost  to  be  insulting  to  those  to  whom  they  are  addressed. 

I  trust  that,  whenever  this  question  comes  before  Congress,  it  will  at 
once  receive  an  action  prompt  and  decided,  and  will  be  carried  by  an 
overwhelming,  if  not  unanimous  vote,  worthy  of  an  enlightened,  a  just, 
and  a  generous  nation.  Your  obedient  servant, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

Not  a  month  before  the  publication  of  this  letter,  in 
which  Mr.  Irving  commits  himself  so  decidedly  to  the 

justice  of  an  international  copy-right  law,  as  due  alike  to 
VOL.  ii.— 22 


338  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

foreign  and  native  authors,  Mr.  Prescott  had  written  to 
him  from  Boston  that,  if  anything  was  to  be  done  in  the 
matter,  he  was  the  one  who,  from  his  literary  position  in 
the  country,  should  take  the  lead  in  it.  In  this  letter  the 
historian,  in  reference  to  a  projected  copy-right  bill  to  be 
brought  in  by  Mr.  Clay  at  that  session  of  Congress, 
says : - 

Whether  nnything  effectual  can  be  done,  seems  to  me  very  doubtful. 
Such  a  law  is  certainly  demanded  by  every  principle  of  justice.  But  I 
suspect  it  is  ratiier  late  in  the  day  to  talk  of  justice  to  statesmen.  At  all 
events,  one  of  those  newspapers,  which  they  are  now  turning  out  every 
week  here,  and  which  contain  an  octavo  volume  each,  of  the  new  publi 
cations,  at  sixpence  apiece,  wilt,  I  am  afraid,  be  too  cogent  an  argument 
in  favor  of  the  present  state  of  things,  to  be  refuted  by  the  best  memorial 
ever  drafted. 

In  the  letter  from  which  I  take  the  above  extract,  Mr. 
Prescott  informs  Mr.  Irving  that  he  was  the  possessor  of 
a  copy  of  the  "  Sketch  Book  "  which  had  been  owned  by 
Sir  James  Mackintosh,  and  had  his  pencillings  in  the 
margin. 

In  April,  1840,  Mr.  Irving  writes  me,  on  renewing  his 
yearly  arrangement  with  the  "  Knickerbocker,"  then 
behindhand  in  its  payments :  "  I  am  convinced  that,  by 
exercising  my  pen  in  my  former  independent  way,  and 
taking  my  time  to  collect  my  writings  into  volumes,  I 
should  make  much  more  money  eventually,  and  escape  a 
monthly  recurring  task." 

It  is  worthy  of  mention,  in  connection  with  this  allusion 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  339 

to  the  "  Knickerbocker,"  that  he  had  just  given  to  the 
magazine  his  skillful  contribution,  entitled  "A  Time  of 
Unexampled  Prosperity :  The  Great  Mississippi  Bubble," 
afterward  published  in  "  Wolfert's  Koost."  He  had  writ 
ten  feelingly  on  the  subject,  for  he  himself  was  now 
suffering  the  embarrassment  arising  from  investments 
made  in  just  such  a  time  of  fictitious  prosperity  and  un 
real  fortunes. 

A  year  later  he  writes  in  reference  to  the  disastrous 
results  of  this  spirit  of  speculation  in  Western  lands, 
which  swept  the  country  in  1836  :  — 

"We  are  gradually  getting  through  this  "  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death," 
which  the  whole  busy  world  has  had  for  some  few  years  past  to  traverse, 
and  I  am  in  hopes  that  the  severe  lessons  received  this  time  will  be  held 
in  remembrance,  and  have  a  wholesome  effect  for  the  residue  of  our 
existence.  The  world  at  large  is  suffering  the  penalty  of  its  own  avarice; 
for  avarice  for  a  time  was  as  extensive  and  deleterious  in  its  sway  as  the 
cholera.  Every  one  was  seized  with  the  mania  of  becoming  suddenly 
rich ;  and,  in  yielding  to  the  frantic  impulse,  has  impoverished  himself. 
The  only  consolation  to  each  individual  sufferer  is,  that  he  is  not  worse 
off  than  most  of  his  neighbors.  It  has  been  a  mania,  too,  that  has  affected  / 
the  most  knowing  as  well  as  the  most  simple  minded;  indeed,  some  of 
the  shrewdest  calculators  have  been  the  most  taken  in. 

November  25th,  1840,  after  having  contributed  to  the 
"  Knickerbocker "  Sketches  in  Paris  in  1825,  from  the 
Travelling  Note  Book  of  Geoffrey  Crayon,"  he  writes  to 
his  sister,  Mrs.  Van  Wart : — 

If  times  ever  again  come  smooth  and  flush  with  me,  so  that  I  can  com 
mand  a  decent  income  independent  of  the  irksome  fagging  of  my  pen,  I 


340  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

shall  think  nothing  of  an  occasional  trip  across  the  Atlantic,  now  that 
steam  has  made  the  voyage  short  and  commodious ;  but  cares  and  claims 
multiply  upon  me  as  I  advance  in  years. 

Then  follows  this  agreeable  picture  of  the  neighborhood 
in  which  he  had  fixed  his  residence,  so  much  changed 
from  the  "  old  Tarry  town "  of  his  correspondent's  recol 
lection  : — 

I  find,  by  your  correspondence  with  sister  Catherine,  that  she  gives  you 
many  details  of  our  country  neighborhood  and  circle,  and  that  you  take 
great  interest  in  everything  relating  to  "old  Tarry  town."  You  would 
scarcely  recognize  the  place,  however,  it  has  undergone  such  changes. 
These  have  in  a  great  degree  taken  place  since  I  have  pitched  my  tent  in 
the  neighborhood.  My  residence  here  has  attracted  others ;  cottages  and 
country  seats  have  sprung  up  along  the  banks  of  the  Tappan  Sea,  and 
Tarrytown  has  become  the  metropolis  of  quite  a  fashionable  vicinity. 
When  you  knew  the  village  it  was  little  better  than  a  mere  hamlet,  crouch' 
ed  down  at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  with  its  dock  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
weekly  market  sloop.  Now  it  has  mounted  the  hill ;  boasts  of  its  hotels, 
and  churches  of  various  denominations;  has  its  little  Episcopalian  church 
with  an  organ — the  gates  of  which,  on  Sundays,  are  thronged  with  equip 
ages  belonging  to  families  resident  within  ten  or  a  dozen  miles  along  the 
river  banks.  We  have,  in  fact,  one  of  the  most  agreeable  neighborhoods 
I  ever  resided  in.  Some  of  our  neighbors  are  here  only  for  the  summer, 
having  their  winter  establishments  in  town ;  others  remain  in  the  country 
all  the  year.  We  have  frequent  gatherings  at  each  other's  houses,  without 
parade  or  expense,  and  I  do  not  know  when  1  have  seen  more  delightful 
little  parties,  or  more  elegant  little  groups  of  females.  We  have,  occasion 
ally,  excellent  music,  for  several  of  the  neighborhood  have  been  well 
taught,  have  good  voices,  and  acquit  themselves  well  both  with  harp  and 
piano:  and  our  parties  always  end  with  a  dance.  We  have  picnic  parties 
also,  sometimes  in  some  inland  valley,  or  piece  of  wood,  sometimes  on  the 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  341 

banks  of  the  Hudson,  where  some  repair  by  land,  and  others  by  water. 
You  would  be  delighted  with  these  picturesque  assemblages,  on  some  wild 
woodland  point  jutting  into  the  Tappan  Sea,  with  gay  groups  on  the  grass 
under  the  trees;  carriages  glistening  through  the  woods;  a  yacht  with 
flapping  sails  and  fluttering  streamers  anchored  about  half  a  mile  from 
shore,  and  rowboats  plying  to  and  from  it,  filled  with  lady  passengers. 
Country  life  with  us,  at  present,  is  very  different  from  what  it  was  in  your 
youthful  days.  There  is  more  of  morning  visiting,  like  in  country  life 
in  England ;  still  it  differs  essentially  from  English  rural  life.  The  na 
ture  of  our  climate  influences  our  habits.  We  have  so  much  sunshine  and 
fine  warm  weather  during  the  genial  months  of  the  year,  that  we  live 
more  out  of  doors,  and  in  a  more  free  and  unceremonious  style.  Our  very 
winters,  though  sometimes  intensely  cold,  are  brilliant  and  beautiful  from 
the  purity  of  the  atmosphere  and  the  prevalence  of  sunshine.  For  my 
part,  I  am  almost  a  worshipper  of  the  sun.  I  have  lived  so  much  of  my 
life  in  climates  where  he  was  all-powerful,  that  I  delight  in  his  vivifying 
effect  on  the  whole  face  of  nature,  and  his  gladdening  influence  on  all  ani 
mate  creation.  In  no  climate  within  the  range  of  my  experience  is  sun 
shine  more  beautiful  in  its  effect  on  landscape  than  in  this,  owing  to  the 
transparency  of  the  atmosphere,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  variety  of  the 
clouds  with  which  our  skies  are  diversified.  To  my  mind,  neither  Span 
ish  nor  Italian  skies,  so  bright  and  cloudless,  can  compare  with  ours,  for 
ever  shifting  in  their  tints,  and  at  times  so  gorgeous  with  their  floating 
regions  of  "cloud-land." 

To  the  same  sister  lie  gives  the  following  picture  of  the 
holidays,  under  date  of  December  26th  : — 

We  have  had  a  pleasant  Christmas  gathering  at  the  cottage.  The  day 
was  bright  and  sunny,  but  the  weather  changed  in  the  night,  and  now  a 
snow-storm  is  prevailing,  which  promises  to  be  a  severe  one.  This,  how 
ever,  is  rather  a  welcome  event  in  the  country,  as  it  produces  fine  sleigh 
ing,  and  sets  all  the  country  in  movement.  I  know  nothing  more  exhila 
rating  than  the  first  sleigh  rides;  skimming  over  the  sparkling  snow,  th« 


342  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

air  so  pure  and  bracing,  the  sunshine  so  splendid ;  the  very  horses  seem  to 
share  your  animation  and  delight,  and  dash  forward  merrily  to  the  jing 
ling  of  the  sleigh-bells. 

Mr.  Irving  had  recently  written  a  biography  of  Gold 
smith  for  Harper's  "  Family  Library,"  which  was  intended 
merely  as  a  sketch  to  accompany  a  collection  or  selection 
of  his  writings.  He  afterward,  as  will  be  seen,  prepared 
another,  which  is  now  known  as  his  best  and  only  biog 
raphy  of  his  favorite  author. 

The  following  letter  to  Mrs.  Van  Wart  has  some  allu 
sion  to  this  sketch  of  Goldsmith,  and  touches  also  upon 
another  interesting  biography  upon  which  he  had  been 
employed  during  his  engagement  with  the  "Knicker 
bocker."  It  opens,  as  will  be  seen,  with  a  notice  of  the 
prolonged  absence  from  the  cottage  of  Ebenezer,  his 
only  surviving  brother,  whose  character  is  feelingly  por 
trayed  : — 

It  is  now  nearly  a  month  since  brother  Ebenezer  has  been  at  the  cot 
tage.  I  have  never  known  him  to  be  so  long  absent  before,  unless  when 

on  a  journey.  Business  has  detained  him  in  town I  think 

him  one  of  the  most  perfect  exemplifications  of  Christian  character  that  I 
have  ever  known.  He  has  all  his  father's  devotion  and  zeal,  without  his 
strictness.  Indeed,  his  piety  is  of  the  most  genial  and  cheerful  kind,  in 
terfering  with  no  rational  pleasure  or  elegant  taste,  and  obtruding  itself 
upon  no  one's  habits,  opinions,  or  pursuits.  T  wish  to  God  I  could  feel 
like  him.  I  envy  him  that  indwelling  source  of  consolation  and  enjoy 
ment,  which  appears  to  have  a  happier  effect  than  all  the  maxims  of  phil 
osophy  or  the  lessons  of  worldly  wisdom. 

I  promised,  in  a  late  letter,  to  send  you  a  copy  of  my  biography  of  Gold- 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  343 

smith,  recently  published.  I  have  not  been  to  town  since,  but  when  I  do 
go,  I  will  procure  a  copy  and  forward  it.  In  the  spring  I  shall  publish 
n  biography  of  Miss  Margaret  Davidson,  with  her  posthumous  writings. 
She  was  a  sister  of  Lucretia  Davidson,  whose  biography  *  you  may  have 
read — a  lovely  American  girl,  of  surprising  precocity  of  poetical  talent, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen  or  eighteen.  The  one  whose  biography 
I  have  just  written  died  a  year  or  two  since,  between  fifteen  and  sixteen 
years  old.  I  saw  her  when  she  was  about  eleven  years  old,  ana  again 
when  about  fourteen.  She  was  a  beautiful  little  being,  as  bright  and  as 
fragile  as  a  flower,  and  like  a  flower  she  has  passed  away.  Her  poetical 
effusions  are  surprising,  and  the  spirit  they  breathe  is  heavenly.  I  think 
you  will  find  her  biography  one  of  the  most  affecting  things  you  have 
ever  read.  It  is  made  up  in  a  great  degree  from  memorandums  furnished 
by  her  mother,  who  is  of  almost  as  poetical  a  temperament  as  her  children. 
The  most  affecting  passages  of  the  biography  are  quoted  literally  from 
her  manuscript.  You  may  recollect  the  family  of  Mrs.  Davidson;  she  is 
one  of  a  number  of  sisters — very  beautiful  girls — of  the  name  of  Miller, 
who,  in  your  younger  days,  lived  in  Maiden  Lane. 

Mr.  Irving  transferred  to  the  mother  the  copyright  of 
the  biography  of  Margaret  Davidson,  reserving  merely 
the  right  to  publish  it  at  any  time  in  connection  with  his 
other  writings.  The  success  which  it  met  with  he  was 
not  disposed  to  attribute  to  any  merit  of  his,  but  to  the 
extreme  interest  and  pathos  of  the  materials  placed  in  his 
hands. 

It  was  during  his  engagement  with  the  "  Knickerbock 
er,"  now  about  to  close,  that  its  editor,  Clark,  made  the 
visit  to  Mr.  Irving  of  which  he  has  given  a  published  ac- 

*  Written  by  Miss  Catherine  Sedgwick. 


344  LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING. 

count.  The  little  brook  on  the  place  had  lately  broken 
bounds,  and  he  found  him  engaged  in  making,  as  his  host 
expressed  it,  "a  dam  and  some  other  profane  improve 
ments."  In  the  afternoon  they  drove  out  together  in  an 
open  one-horse  carriage,  to  explore  the  wizard  region  of 
Sleepy  Hollow.  A  sudden  and  violent  shower  coming  up, 
accompanied  with  thunder  and  lightning,  Mr.  Irving  stop 
ped  the  horse,  and  took  refuge  under  a  large  tree,  leaning 
against  the  trunk,  where,  however,  he  soon  became  tho 
roughly  drenched.  All  this  while  Clark  was  standing  out 
in  the  pouring  rain.  "  Why  don't  you  come  under  a  tree," 
asked  Mr.  Irving,  facetiously,  "  and  be  dry  and  comfort 
able  like  me?"  Clark  excused  himself  on  the  ground 
that  his  father  had  once  taken  refuge  from  a  sudden  thun 
der  shower  under  a  spreading  chestnut  tree,  which  was 
struck,  his  father  prostrated  and  rendered  insensible  for 
four  hours  ;  and  that  on  his  recovery  he  gave  him  an  in 
junction  never  to  stand  under  a  tree,  in  an  open  field,  in  a 
thunder  storm.  "  O !  "  replied  Mr.  Irving,  with  a  look  in 
which  you  could  see  the  humorous  thought  before  he 
gave  expression  to  it,  "  that  makes  all  the  difference  in 
the  world.  If  it  is  hereditary,  and  lightning  runs  in  your 
family,  you  are  wise." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

LBTTER  FROM  DICKENS— ALBERT  GALLATIN.— VISITS  IN  THE  HIGHLANDS.— THK 
"LIFE  OF  WASHINGTON"  BEGUN.— THE  DICKENS  DINNER.— LETTER  FROM 
BOZ.— EMBARKATION  AND  FAREWELL. 

N  April,  Mr.  Irving  addressed  a  letter  to  Charles 
Dickens,  "expressing  his  heartfelt  delight  in 
his  writings,  and  his  yearnings  toward  himself." 
He  had  never  seen  "the  glorious  fellow,"  as  he  styles 
him  at  the  time,  for  he  was  yet  in  his  minority  when  he 
left  England,  but  he  had  read  his  productions  with  warm 
admiration  as  they  had  since  appeared,  and  on  the  per 
usal  of  one  of  them  he  could  no  longer  repress  his  desire 
to  testify  to  the  author  his  delighted  interest  in  the  story 
and  his  high  appreciation  of  his  genius.  I  have  not  the 
letter,  but  the  following  is  Dickens's  glowing  reply : — 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :— 

There  is  no  man  in  the  world  who  could  have  given  me  the  heartfelt 
pleasure  you  have,  by  your  kind  note  of  the  13th  of  last  month.  There  is 
no  living  writer,  and  there  are  very  few  among  the  dead,  whose  approba 
tion  I  should  feel  so  proui}  to  earn.  And  with  everything  you  have  writ 
ten  upon  my  shelves,  and  in  my  thoughts,  and  in  my  heart  of  hearts,  I 
may  honestly  and  truly  say  so.  If  you  could  know  how  earnestly  I  write 
this,  you  would  be  glad  to  read  it— as  I  hope  you  will  be,  faintly  guessing 

345 


346  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

at  the  warmth  of  the  hand  I  autobiographically  hold  out  to  you  over  the 
broad  Atlantic. 

I  wish  I  could  find  in  your  welcome  letter  some  hint  of  an  intention  to 
visit  England.  I  can't.  I  have  held  it  at  arm's  length,  and  taken  a  bird's- 
eye  view  of  it,  after  reading  it  a  great  many  times,  but  there  is  no  greater 
encouragement  in  it  this  way  than  on  a  microscopic  inspection.  I  should 
love  to  go  with  you — as  I  have  gone,  God  knows  how  often— into  little 
Britain,  and  Eastcheap,  and  Green  Arbor  Court,  and  Westminster  Abbey. 
I  should  like  to  travel  with  you,  outside  the  last  of  the  coaches,  down  to 
Bracebridge  Hall.  It  would  make  my  heart  glad  to  compare  notes  with 
you  about  that  shabby  gentleman  in  the  oilcloth  hat  and  red  nose,  who 
sat  iri  the  nine-cornered  back  parlor  of  the  Masons'  Arms  ;  and  about 
Robert  Preston,  and  the  tallow  chandler's  widow,  whose  sitting-room  is 
second-nature  to  me  ;  and  about  all  those  delightful  places  and  people 
that  I  used  to  walk  about  and  dream  of  in  the  day-time,  when  a  very 
smadl  and  not  over-particularly-taken-care-of  boy.  I  have  a  good  deal  to 
say,  too,  about  that  dashing  Alonzo  de  Ojeda,  that  you  can't  help  being 
fonder  of  than  you  ought  to  be ;  and  much  to  hear  concerning  Moorish 
legend,  and  poor  unhappy  Boabdil.  Diedrich  Knickerbocker  I  have  worn 
to  death  in  my  pocket,  and  yet  I  should  show  you  his  mutilated  carcass 
with  a  joy  past  all  expression. 

I  have  been  so  accustomed  to  associate  you  with  my  pleasantest  and 
happiest  thoughts,  and  with  my  leisure  hours,  that  I  rush  at  once  into 
full  confidence  with  you,  and  fall,  as  it  were,  naturally.,  and  by  the  very 
laws  of  gravity,  into  your  open  arms.  Questions  come  thronging  to  my 
pen  as  to  the  lips  of  people  who  meet  after  long  hoping  to  do  so.  I  don't 
know  what  to  say  first,  or  what  to  leave  unsaid,  and  am  constantly  disposed 
to  break  off  and  tell  you  again  how  glad  I  am  this  moment  has  arrived. 

My  dear  Washington  Irving,  I  cannot  thank  you  enough  for  your  cor 
dial  and  generous  praise,  or  tell  you  what  deep  and  lasting  gratification  it 
has  given  me.  I  hope  to  have  many  letters  from  you,  and  to  exchange  a 
frequent  correspondence.  I  send  this  to  say  so.  After  the  first  two  or 
three  I  shall  settle  down  into  a  connected  style,  and  become  gradually 
rational. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  347 

You  know  what  the  feeling  is,  after  having  written  a  letter,  sealed  it, 
*nd  sent  it  off.  I  shall  picture  you  reading  this,  and  answering  it  before 
it  has  lain  one  night  in  the  post  office.  Ten  to  one  that  before  the  fastest 
packet  could  reach  New  York  I  shall  be  writing  again. 

Do  you  suppose  the  post  office  clerks  care  to  receive  letters  ?  I  have 
my  doubts.  They  get  into  a  dreadful  habit  of  indifference.  A  postman, 
I  imagine,  is  quite  callous.  Conceive  his  delivering  one  to  himself,  with 
out  being  startled  by  a  preliminary  double  knock  ! 

Always  your  faithful  friend, 

CHARLES  DICKENS. 

In  July  I  find  him  among  the  Highlands  on  a  visit  to 
his  friend,  Gouverneur  Kemble — a  visit  somewhat  sad 
dened  by  the  recent  death  of  that  gentleman's  sister, 
Gertrude,  the  wife  of  James  K.  Paulding,  whose  image 
was  linked  with  the  familiar  scene.  It  is  to  her  that  the 
extract  which  follows,  from  a  letter  to  his  niece,  Mrs. 
Storrow,  who  had  recently  married  and  was  now  residing 
in  Paris — makes  the  brief  and  touching  allusion.  West, 
his  companion  in  the  visit,  was  William  E.  West,  the 
amiable  American  artist,  whose  likeness  of  Lord  Byron 
had  made  him  famous. 

I  arrived  here  the  evening  before  last,  in  company  with  Mr.  West.  We 
had  a  splendid  evening's  voyage  through  the  Highlands,  which  looked 
to  me  more  magnificent  than  ever.  I  found  Mr.  Kemble's  house  a  real 

"  bachelor's  hall,"  having  no  longer  a  lady  to  preside  there The 

glorious  being  who  used  to  grace  and  gladden  this  little  mansion  with  her 
presence  is  gone  forever  I  I  cannot  express  to  you  how  dreary  I  have  oc 
casionally  felt  since  I  have  been  here. 

I  give  this  further  extract  from  the  same  letter,  for  its 


348  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

interesting  allusion  to  the  venerable  Albert  Gallatin,  then 
long  withdrawn  from  public  life  : 

The  day  before  I  left  the  cottage  I  dined  at  the  Sheldon's,  to  meet  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gallatin  (the  old  people),  who  were  on  a  visit  there.  Mr.  George 
Jones  was  the  only  guest  besides  myself  from  the  neighborhood.  We  had 
a  very  cheerful  dinner.  Mr.  Gallatin  was  in  fine  spirits,  and  full  of  con 
versation.  He  is  upward  of  eighty,  yet  has  all  the  activity  and  clearness 
of  mind  and  gayety  of  spirits  of  a  young  man.  How  delightful  it  is  to 
see  such  intellectual  and  joyous  old  age ;  to  see  life  running  out  clear  and 
sparkling  to  the  last  drop  !  With  such  a  blessed  temperament,  one  would 
be  content  to  linger  and  spin  out  the  last  thread  of  existence. 

From  Kemble's,  Mr.  Irving  proceeded  to  visit  his  friend, 
Henry  Brevoort,  who  had  taken  the  old  Beverley  House 
in  the  Highlands,  which  formerly  belonged  to  the  family 
of  the  Robinsons,  and  was  associated  with  the  history  of 
the  Arnold  treason.  It  was  distant  about  five  miles  from 
the  residence  of  Gouverneur  Kemble.  It  was  while  here 
that  he  was  unexpectedly  tempted  to  accompany  the  di 
rectors  of  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal,  of  whom  Bre 
voort  was  one,  in  their  annual  visit  of  examination.  "  I 
do  not  know,"  he  writes,  "  when  I  have  made  a  more  grat 
ifying  excursion,  with  respect  to  natural  scenery,  or  more 
interesting  from  the  stupendous  works  of  art."  He  did 
not  gain  in  health,  however,  by  the  exposures  of  this  wild 
expedition  into  the  mining  regions  of  Pennsylvania.  "  I 
returned  home  completely  out  of  order,"  he  writes,  "  and 
in  the  course  of  three  or  four  days  my  indisposition  ter 
minated  in  a  violent  fever."  By  the  first  of  September 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  349 

his  malady  had  passed  away,  and  he  began  to  be  himself 
again. 

On  the  7th  of  December,  after  having  spent  a  fortnight 
in  town,  he  writes  to  his  niece  in  Paris  :  — 

I  have  stayed  until  to-day,  to  be  present  at  the  anniversary  of  the  St. 
Nicholas  Society,  which  went  off  yesterday  in  great  style.  The  dinner 
was  more  numerously  attended  than  on  any  former  occasion.  We  had 
Lord  Morpeth  there,  who  of  late  has  been  the  universal  guest.  He  made 
a  very  neat  speech  on  the  occasion.  My  health  was  drunk  in  the  course 
of  the  evening,  and  I  was  absolutely  hurried  upon  my  legs  to  make  a 
speech,  but,  agitated  and  abashed  as  usual,  and  overcome  by  the  prolonged 
and  deafening  testimonials  of  good-will,  I  blundered  through  two  or  three 
indistinct  sentences,  and  sat  down  amidst  thundering  applause.  I  never 
shall  figure  as  an  orator. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  same  month  he  acknowledges 
the  receipt  of  some  books  which  had  been  procured  for 
him  from  Paris.  "  They  are  very  rare  works,"  he  remarks, 
"  not  to  be  met  with  in  this  country,  but  indispensable  to 
a  work  which  I  have  in  contemplation." 

The  work  he  had  in  contemplation  was  his  "  Life  of 
"Washington,"  upon  which  he  had  actually  commenced  and 
got  fairly  under  way,  when  he  received  the  appointment 
of  Minister  to  Spain  —  an  honor  totally  unsought  and  un 
looked-for  by  himself  and  his  friends.  It  was  on  the  10th 
of  February,  in  the  city  of  New  York,  where  he  had  been 
passing  the  winter,  that  he  first  heard  of  his  nomination. 
""Washington  Irving,"  said  Daniel  Webster,  the  distin 
guished  Secretary  of  State,  when  he  supposed  a  sufficient 
time  had  elapsed  for  him  to  have  received  the  tidings  of 


350 

his  nomination,  "  Washington  Irving  is  now  the  most  as 
tonished  man  in  the  city  of  New  York."  I  saw  him  at  my 
office  within  an  hour  after  he  had  received  the  news,  and 
he  had  not  yet  got  over  the  surprise  and  excitement  of 
this  unexpected  event.  Yet,  as  he  paced  up  and  down, 
revolving  the  prospect  of  a  separation  from  home  and 
home  scenes,  he  appeared  less  impressed  with  the  dis 
tinction  conferred,  than  alive  to  the  pain  of  such  an  exile. 
"  It  is  hard  —  very  hard,"  he  half  murmured  to  himself, 
half  said  to  me;  "  yet,"  he  added, whimsically  enough,  being 
struck  with  the  seeming  absurdity  of  such  a  view,  "  I  must 
try  and  bear  it.  God  tempers  the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb." 

At  a  later  period,  and  in  a  different  mood,  he  spoke  of 
this  appointment  to  me  as  "  the  crowning  honor  of  his 
life  ;'*  yet  I  am  persuaded  he  would  have  declined  it,  but 
for  a  confident  belief  that  a  diplomatic  residence  at  Madrid 
need  work  no  interruption  to  his  "Life  of  Washington," 
the  literary  task  upon  which  he  had  now  set  his  heart. 

The  following  letter  was  written  after  he  had  been  du 
biously  balancing  the  pros  and  cons  for  a  time  in  my  pres 
ence,  and  had  concluded  by  a  determination  to  accept. 
It  is  addressed  to  his  brother  Ebenezer  at  Sunnyside,  now 
his  home  ;  his  growing  deafness  and  advancing  years  dis 
qualifying  him  for  further  active  occupation  in  the  city. 

NEW  YORK,  February  10, 1842. 
MY  DEAR  BROTHER:  — 

I  have  been  astounded,  this  morning,  by  the  intelligence  of  my  having 
been  nominated  to  the  Senate  as  Minister  to  Spain.  The  nomination,  I 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  351 

presume,  will  be  confirmed.     Nothing  was  ever  more  unexpected.    It  was 
perfectly  unsolicited. 
I  have  determined  to  accept.     .... 

In  the  following  unofficial  letter  from  Mr.  Webster  we 
find  that  the  appointment  had  taken  place  :  — 

WASHINGTON,  February  14, 1842. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  — 

You  will  have  heard  of  your  nomination  and  appointment  as  Envoy 
Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  the  Court  of  Madrid.  1 
assure  you  it  gives  me  pleasure  to  have  been  instrumental  in  calling  you 
to  so  distinguished  a  post  in  the  public  service.  If  a  gentleman  of  more 
merit  and  higher  qualifications  had  presented  himself,  great  as  is  my 
personal  regard  for  you,  I  should  have  yielded  it  to  higher  considerations. 

The  time  of  your  departure  from  this  country  will  be  left  to  your  own 
convenience.     We  have  some  confidential  subjects,  depending  between  the 
United  States  and  Spain,  in  regard  to  which  it  would  be  well  that  you 
would  confer  with  the  Department,  before  you  repair  to  your  post. 
I  am,  truly  and  cordially,  yours, 

DANIEL  WEBSTER. 

The  suggestion  of  this  appointment,  however  readily  it 
may  have  been  adopted  by  the  President,  John  Tyler, 
originated  with  Mr.  Webster,  who,  in  the  first  month  of 
his  Secretaryship,  had  been  agitating  Mr.  Irving's  name 
for  a  diplomatic  post.  The  sudden  death  of  the  Presi 
dent,  General  Harrison,  very  probably  effected  a  change 
in  his  views  at  that  time,  but  his  purpose  would  seem, 
from  this  evidence,  to  have  remained.  Mr.  Irving's  old 
friend,  William  C.  Preston,  then  a  Senator  of  the  United 
States  from  South  Carolina,  is  also  linked  in  this  testimo- 


352  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

nial.  "  I  have  rarely  performed,"  writes  that  gentleman 
in  a  letter  to  Gouverneur  Kemble  now  before  nie,  dated 
February  18th,  "  an  official  duty  with  more  pleasure  than 
that  of  reporting  Irving  from  the  Committee  of  Foreign 
Relations,  and  moving  his  confirmation.  Such  things 
make  pleasant  little  green  spots  amid  our  wearisome 
pitching  and  tossing  here.  It  was  very  gratifying,  the 
cordial  feeling  manifested  on  both  sides  of  the  Senate." 
The  following  is  his  letter  of  acceptance  :  — 

NEW  YORK,  February  18,  1842. 

The,  Hon.  DANIEL  WEBSTER,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington :  — 

SIR, — I  accept,  with  no  common  feelings  of  pride  and  gratitude,  the 
honorable  post  offered  me  by  the  Government,  of  Envoy  Extraordinary 
and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  Spain.  It  will  take  some  little  time  for 
me  to  arrange  my  affairs  preparatory  to  so  sudden  and  unexpected  a 
change  of  position  and  pursuits,  but  I  trust  to  be  ready  to  depart  early  in 
April,  previous  to  which  time  I  will  visit  Washington,  to  receive  my 
instructions.  I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully  yours, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

Previous  to  the  date  of  this  formal  acceptance,  Mr. 
Irving  had  intimated  a  desire  to  have  Mr.  Joseph  G, 
Cogswell  appointed  as  Secretary  of  the  Legation.  "  He 
is  a  gentleman,"  he  wrote,  "with  whom  I  am  on  terms  of 
confidential  intimacy,  and  I  know  no  one  who,  by  his 
various  acquirements,  his  prompt  sagacity,  his  knowledge 
of  the  world,  his  habits  of  business,  and  his  obliging  dis 
position,  is  so  calculated  to  give  me  that  counsel,  aid,  and 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  353 

companionship  so  important  in  Madrid,  where  a  stranger 
is  more  isolated  than  in  any  other  capital  of  Europe." 

It  was  an  object  of  great  solicitude  to  him  to  get  the 
right  person  for  this  important  and  confidential  relation ; 
but  just  as  he  had  succeeded  in  procuring  the  appoint 
ment  for  Cogswell,  Mr.  John  Jacob  Astor,  finding  that  he 
was  likely  to  lose  the  invaluable  services  of  this  gentle 
man  in  organizing  the  Astor  Library,  made  him  librarian 
of  that  embryo  institution  ;  and  Mr.  Irving,  unwilling  to 
stand  in  the  way  of  a  selection  so  admirable  and  of  so 
much  public  importance,  set  about  procuring  the  appoint 
ment  of  another  in  his  place.  His  personal  comfort  and 
happiness  were  somewhat  at  stake  in  this  matter,  and  it 
was  a  little  doubtful  whether  he  could  get  his  inclinations 
consulted  in  another  choice.  He  was  most  fortunate, 
however,  in  accomplishing  the  appointment  of  Alexander 
Hamilton,  Jr.,  for  the  post ;  though  not  without  some 
political  scruples  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Tyler,  which  were 
finally  yielded  to  a  conviction  of  his  fitness  for  the  place, 
and  a  disposition  to  oblige  the  newly  appointed  Minister. 

Taking  no  lady  with  him  to  preside  over  his  bachelor 
establishment  at  Madrid,  his  Secretary  of  Legation  and 
two  young  gentlemen,  Hector  Ames,  a  son  of  Barrett 
Ames,  of  the  city  of  New  York,  and  J.  Carson  Brevoort,  a 
son  of  his  old  friend,  Henry  Brevoort,  would  comprise 
his  diplomatic  family  —  the  two  last  as  attaches. 

It  was  just  when  Mr.  Irving  had  received  the  appoint 
ment  of  Minister  to  Spain,  that  Charles  Dickens  made 
VOL.  ii.— 23 


354  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

his  first  appearance  in  New  York,  having  arrived  shortly 
before  at  Boston. 

The  genial  and  lamented  Felton,  at  this  date  Professor, 
afterward  President  of  Harvard  University,  was  visiting 
New  York  at  the  same  time  ;  and  after  the  death  of  Mr. 
Irving,  in  his  remarks  before  the  Massachusetts  Histor 
ical  Society,  in  paying  his  tribute  to  his  memory,  gives 
the  following  characteristic  picture  of  their  intercourse 
at  that  period :  — 

The  time  when  I  saw  the  most  of  Mr.  Irving  was  the  winter  of  1843, 
during  the  visit  of  Charles  Dickens  in  New  York.  I  had  known  this 
already  distinguished  writer  in  Boston  and  Cambridge,  and  while  passing 
some  weeks  with  my  dear  and  lamented  friend,  Albert  Sumner.  I  re 
newed  my  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Dickens,  often  meeting  him  in  the 
brilliant  society  which  then  made  New  York  a  most  agreeable  resort. 
Halleck,  Bryant,  Washington  Irving,  Davis,  and  others  scarcely  less  at 
tractive  by  their  genius,  wit  and  social  graces,  constituted  a  circle  not  to 
be  surpassed  anywhere  in  the  world.  I  passed  much  of  the  time  with 
Mr.  Irving  and  Mr.  Dickens;  and  it  was  delightful  to  witness  the  cordial 
intercourse  of  the  young  man,  in  the  flush  and  glory  of  his  fervent  genius, 
and  his  elder  compeer,  then  in  the  assured  possession  of  immortal  renown. 
Dickens  said,  in  his  frank,  hearty  manner,  that  from  his  childhood  he 
had  known  the  works  of  Irving;  and  that,  before  he  thought  of  coming  to 
this  country,  he  had  received  a  letter  from  him,  expressing  the  delight 
he  felt  in  reading  the  "Story  of  Little  Nell: "  and  from  that  day  they 
had  shaken  hands  autograpliically  across  the  Atlantic.  Great  and  varied 
as  was  the  genius  of  Mr.  Irving,  there  was  one  thing  he  shrank  with  a 
comical  terror  from  attempting,  and  that  was  a  dinner  speech.  A  great 
dinner,  however,  was  to  be  given  to  Mr.  Dickens  in  New  York,  as  one 
had  already  been  given  in  Boston ;  and  it  was  evident  to  all  that  no  man 
but  Washington  Irving  could  be  thought  of  to  preside.  With  all  his 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  355 

dread  of  making  a  speech,  he  was  obliged  to  obey  the  universal  call,  and  to 
accept  the  painful  preeminence.  I  saw  him  daily  during  the  interval  of 
preparation,  either  at  the  lodgings  of  Dickens,  or  at  dinner  or  evening 
parties.  I  hope  I  showed  no  want  of  sympathy  with  his  forebodings,  but 
1  could  not  help  being  amused  with  the  tragi-comical  distress  which  the 
thought  of  that  approaching  dinner  had  caused  him.  His  pleasant  humor 
mingled  with  the  real  dread,  and  played  with  the  whimsical  horrors  of 
his  own  position  with  an  irresistible  drollery.  Whenever  it  was  alluded 
to,  his  invariable  answer  was,  ' '  I  shall  certainly  break  down ! " — uttered 
in  a  half-melancholy  tone,  the  ludicrous  effect  of  which  it  is  impossible 
to  describe.  He  was  haunted,  as  if  by  a  nightmare ;  and  I  could  only 
compare  his  dismay  to  that  of  Mr.  Pickwick,  who  was  so  alarmed  at  the 
prospect  of  leading  about  that  "dreadful  horse"  all  day.  At  length  the 
long-expected  evening  arrived ;  a  company  of  the  most  eminent  persons, 
from  all  the  professions  and  every  walk  of  life,  were  assembled,  and  Mr. 
Irving  took  the  chair.  I  had  gladly  accepted  an  invitation,  making  it, 
however,  a  condition  that  I  should  not  be  called  upon  to  speak — a  thing 
I  then  dreaded  quite  as  much  as  Mr.  Irving  himself.  The  direful  com 
pulsions  of  life  have  since  helped  me  to  overcome,  in  some  measure,  the 
post-prandial  fright.  Under  the  circumstances— an  invited  guest,  with 
no  impending  speech— I  sat  calmly,  and  watched  with  interest  the  impos 
ing  scene.  I  had  the  honor  to  be  placed  next  but  one  to  Mr.  Irving,  and 
the  great  pleasure  of  sharing  in  his  conversation.  He  had  brought  the 
manuscript  of  his  speech,  and  laid  it  under  his  plate.  "  I  shall  certainly 
break  down,"  he  repeated  over  and  over  again.  At  last  the  moment  ar 
rived.  Mr.  Irving  rose,  and  was  received  with  deafening  and  long- 
continued  applause,  which  by  no  means  lessened  his  apprehension.  He 
began  in  his  pleasant  voice ;  got  through  two  or  three  sentences  pretty 
easily,  but  in  the  next  hesitated ;  and,  after  one  or  two  attempts  to  go  on, 
gave  it  up,  with  a  graceful  allusion  to  the  tournament,  and  the  troops 
of  knights  all  armed  and  eager  for  the  fray;  and  ended  with  the  toast, 
"Charles  Dickens,  the  guest  of  the  nation."  "  There  I "  said  he,  as  he 
resumed  his  seat  under  a  repetition  of  the  applause  which  had  saluted  his 
rising;  "  there!  I  told  you  I  should  break  down,  and  I've  done  it." 


356  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

There  certainly  never  was  made  a  shorter  after-dinner  speech ;  I  doubt 
tf  there  ever  was  a  more  successful  one.  The  manuscript  seemed  to 
be  a  dozen  or  twenty  pages  long,  but  the  printed  speech  was  not  as  many 
lines.  I  suppose  that  manuscript  may  be  still  in  existence :  and  if  so,  I 
wish  it  may  be  published.*  Mr.  Irving  often  spoke  with  a  good-humored 
envy  of  the  felicity  with  which  Dickens  always  acquitted  himself  on  such 
occasions. 

The  following  letter  is  addressed  to  his  brother  from 
Washington,  where  he  and  "  Boz  "  had  gone  shortly  after 
the  Dickens  dinner  :  — 


[To  Nbenezer  Irving.] 

WASHINGTON,  March  16,  1842. 
MY  DEAR  BROTHER:  — 

My  reception  in  Washington,  by  all  persons  and  parties,  has  been  of 
the  most  gratifying  kind.  The  government  seems  disposed  to  grant  me 
every  indulgence  as  to  the  time  and  mode  of  my  embarkation,  my  route, 
etc.  I  shall  remain  here  until  some  time  in  the  early  part  of  next  week, 
to  read  the  correspondence  and  documents  connected  with  my  mission, 
and  to  make  myself  acquainted  with  the  affairs  of  the  legation,  after 
which  I  shall  return  home  to  make  my  final  preparations  for  departure. 

I  dined  with  Mr.  Granger  yesterday;  Mr.  Webster  to-day;  I  dine  to 
morrow  with  Mr.  Preston,  of  the  Senate,  the  next  day  with  the  President, 
and  on  Saturday  with  Mr.  Tayloe ;  so  you  see  I  am  launched  in  a  com 
plete  round  of  dissipation.  Last  evening  I  was  at  the  President's  levee— 
a  prodigious  crowd.  I  set  out  to  walk,  with  Julia  S.  on  my  arm,  but  was 
penned  up  against  the  wall,  and  for  an  hour  had  to  stand  shaking  hands 
with  man,  woman  and  child  from  all  parts  of  the  Union,  who  took  a 
notion  to  lionize  me.  I  thought  I  had  become  so  old  a  story  as  to  be  past 

*  The  manuscript,  which  consisted,  no  doubt,  only  of  notes  or  hints,  was  probably  d& 
stroyed  at  the  time.— ED. 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING.  357 

all  such  bozzing,  but  they  seem  to  think  me  brought  out  in  a  new  edition 
at  Washington 

In  the  following  we  have  a  further  glimpse  of  Boz  and 
Diedrich :  — 

[Charles  Dickens  to  Washington  Irving.] 

WASHINGTON,  Monday  afternoon,  March  21, 1842. 
MY  DEAR  IRVING:  — 

We  passed  through — literally  passed  through — this  place  again  to-day. 
I  did  not  come  to  see  you,  for  I  really  have  not  the  heart  to  say  "good- 
by "  again,  and  felt  more  than  I  can  tell  you  when  we  shook  hands  last 
Wednesday. 

You  will  not  be  at  Baltimore,  I  fear  ?  I  thought  at  the  time,  that  you 
only  said  you  might  be  there,  to  make  our  parting  the  gayer. 

Wherever  you  go,  God  bless  you  !  What  pleasure  1  have  had  in  seeing 
and  talking  with  you,  I  will  not  attempt  to  say.  I  shall  never  forget  it 
as  long  as  I  live.  What  would  I  give,  if  we  could  have  but  a  quiet  week 
together  !  Spain  is  a  lazy  place,  and  its  climate  an  indolent  one.  But  i| 
you  have  ever  leisure  under  its  sunny  skies  to  think  of  a  man  who  loves 
you,  and  holds  communion  with  your  spirit  oftener,  perhaps,  than  any 
other  person  alive  —  leisure  from  listlessness,  I  mean  —  and  will  write  to 
me  in  London,  you  will  give  me  an  inexpressible  amount  of  pleasure. 

Your  affectionate  friend, 

CHARLES  DICKENS. 

Seventeen  days  later,  when  his  departure  was  close  at 
hand,  he  addresses  the  following  letter  to  his  niece,  Sarah 
Irving,  at  his  cottage  :  — 

NEW  YORK,  April  7, 1842. 
MY  DEAR  SARAH  :  — 

I  have  given  Pierre  M.  Irving  a  full  power  of  attorney  to  act  in  my 
name,  and  have  made  arrangements  with  him  for  the  conduct  of  my 
pecuniary  affairs 


358  LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING. 

And  now,  my  dear,  good  little  girl,  G-od  bless  you  !  You  have  been  like 
a  daughter,  and  an  affectionate  one,  to  me,  and  so  have  all  your  sisters  ; 
and  have,  by  your  kind  attentions,  made  the  years  I  have  lived  among  you 
one  Oo.  the  happiest  portions  of  my  life.  In  a  little  while  we  shall  come 
together  again,  I  trust,  and  then  we  will  have  merry  times  at  sweet  little 
Sunnyside. 

With  my  love  to  all  the  flock,  your  affectionate  uncle, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

On  the  10th.  of  April  he  embarked  for  Liverpool  with 
fine  weather  and  fair  wind. 


CHAPTEK  XXV. 

MR.  IRVING  IN  LONDON. — LEVEE.  —  RECEPTION  AT  COURT. — MEETING  OP  OLD 
ACQUAINTANCES. — ROGERS. — LESLIE. — JAMES  BANDINEL. — MONASTIC  SECLU 
SION  IN  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY. — ANNIVERSARY  DINNER  OF  THE  LITERACY 
FUND. — THE  QUEEN'S  GRAND  FANCY  BALL.  —  AT  PARIS. —LETTER  TO  MRS. 
PARIS.  —  PRESENTMENT  TO  LOUIS  PHILIPPE  AND  OTHER  MEMBERS  OF  THB 
ROYAL  FAMILY  AT  NEUILLY. 

HE  following  letter  gives  the  first  tidings  of  the 
author's  arrival  in  England  :  — 

[To  Mrs.  Paris,  at  Tarrytown.~\ 

LONDON,  May  3,  1843. 
MY  DEAR  SISTER:  — 

I  have  arrived  in  England  before  my  ship,  and  in  London  before  visit 
ing  Birmingham ;  and  these  are  the  circumstances  of  the  case  :  We  had 
a  fair  wind  and  fine  voyage  until  we  made  the  Irish  coast,  when  the  wind 
came  ahead.  After  beating  for  a  day  or  two  in  the  channel,  with  the 
prospect  of  passing  several  more  days  on  shipboard,  a  steam  packet  hove 
in  sight.  A  signal  brought  it  within  hail.  It  was  bound  from  Cork  for 
Bristol,  where  it  would  arrive  on  the  following  day.  Several  of  my  fellow- 
passengers  and  myself,  therefore,  got  on  board,  and  were  landed  on  the 
following  day  (April  30th)  at  Bristol. 

.  .  .  .  We  landed  after  dark,  and  the  next  morning  I  set  off  in  the 
railroad  cars  for  London.  These  railroads  have  altered  the  whole  style 
and  course  of  travelling  in  England.  You  fly  through  the  country  rather 

839 


360  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

than  ride.  We  were  about  four  hours  travelling  a  distance  of  one  hun 
dred  miles;  and  such  admirable  vehicles.  I  sat  as  comfortably  cushioned 
and  accommodated  as  in  my  old  Voltaire  chair  at  the  cottage.  The  rail 
roads,  too,  were  so  well  finished,  that  you  experience  none  of  the  jarring 
and  vibration  that  are  felt  in  ours.  In  this  way  we  are  whirled  through 
a  succession  of  enchanting  scenery,  in  all  the  freshness  of  spring;  the 
weather  was  lovely,  and  the  sunshine  worthy  of  our  own  country 

The  letter  of  varying  date  to  Mrs.  Paris,  which  follows, 
is  begun  at  the  residence  of  his  sister,  at  Birmingham  :  — 

THE  SHRUBBERY,  May  7,  1842. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER:  — 

I  wrote  you  a  hasty  scrawl  a  few  days  since,  from  London.  I  was  de 
tained  in  town  three  or  four  days  by  business,  and  then  set  off  for  Bir 
mingham,  where  I  arrived  in  about  five  hours  by  railroad,  travelling 
without  the  least  fatigue. 

While  I  was  in  London  I  attended  the  levee,  to  be  presented.  I  know 
the  great  interest  you  take  in  the  young  Queen,  and  that  you  will  expect 
some  account  of  her.  She  is. certainly  quite  low  in  stature,  but  well 
formed  and  well  rounded.  Her  countenance,  though  not  decidedly  hand 
some,  is  agreeable  and  intelligent;  her  eyes  light  blue,  with  light  eye 
lashes  ;  and  her  mouth  generally  a  little  open,  so  that  you  can  see  her 
teeth.  She  acquits  herself  in  her  receptions  with  great  grace,  and  even 
with  dignity.  Prince  Albert  stood  beside  her — a  tall,  elegantly  formed 
young  man,  with  a  handsome,  prepossessing  countenance.  He  is  said  to 
be  frank,  manly,  intelligent,  and  accomplished;  to  be  fond  of  his  little 
wife,  who,  in  turn,  is  strongly  attached  to  him.  It  is  rare  to  see  such  a 
union  of  pure  affection  on  a  throne. 

I  experienced  a  very  kind  reception  at  court ;  was  warmly  welcomed 
by  many  members  of  the  diplomatic  corps,  though  most  of  them  were 
strangers  to  me ;  but  I  met  several  of  my  old  acquaintances  among  the 
ministers — Lord  Aberdeen,  Sir  Robert  Peel,  etc. 

Among  the  most  gratifying  meetings  with  old  friends  during  my  brief 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  361 

sojourn  in  London,  I  must  mention  those  with  Mr.  Rogers  and  with 
Leslie.  Mr.  Rogers  was  quite  affected  on  meeting  with  me  (it  was  at  a 
dinner  party  at  our  Minister's,  Mr.  Everett's).  The  old  man  took  me  in 
his  arms  in  quite  a  paternal  manner.  He  begins  to  show  the  marks  of 
his  advanced  age,  though  he  still  goes  out  to  parties,  and  is  almost  as 
much  in  company  as  ever.  Leslie  is  occupied  in  painting  a  picture  of 
the  Royal  Christening.  His  picture  of  the  Coronation  has  been  the  mak 
ing  of  him.  He  has  more  orders  for  paintings  than  he  can  execute. 

LITTLE  CLOISTERS,  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY,  May  9th. — I  returned  to 
town  on  Saturday,  after  passing  two  days  in  Birmingham,  intending  to 
pay  it  another  and  a  longer  visit  before  1  leave  England.  I  am  here  en 
sconced  in  the  very  heart  of  this  old  monastic  establishment,  with  an  old 
friend  who  keeps  bachelor's  hall  in  one  of  the  interior  buildings  connected 
with  the  Abbey.  My  host  is  Mr.  James  Bandinel,  of  the  Foreign  Office, 
with  whom  I  became  acquainted  during  my  former  diplomatic  residence  in 
London.  He  is  a  peculiar  character ;  a  capital  scholar,  a  man  variously  and 
curiously  informed,  of  great  worth,  kindness,  and  hospitality.  His  quarters 
in  the  old  Abbey  are  a  perfect  "old  curiosity  shop, "  furnished  with  all  kinds 
of  antiquities  and  curiosities :  quaint  old  furniture ;  the  walls  hung  with 
ancient  armor;  weapons  of  all  ages  and  countries;  curious  pictures,  etc., 
etc. ;  cases  and  shelves  of  old  books  in  eveiy  room.  The  entrance  to  thi& 
singular  and  monkish  nest  is  through  the  vaulted  passages  and  the  long 
arcades  of  the  cloisters,  over  the  tombstones  (inserted  in  the  pavements) 
of  the  ancient  abbots,  which  I  have  mentioned  in  the  "Sketch  Book," 
and  past  that  mural  monument,  with  a  marble  figure  reclining  on  it, 
which  frightened  Sarah  so  much  that  evening  when  she  was  brought  to 
the  Abbey  unexpectedly  by  Mr.  Storrow.  I  have  repeatedly  passed 
through  these  cloisters  and  by  that  monument  at  midnight  on  my  way 
home  from  a  party,  and  on  one  occasion  the  Abbey  clock  struck  twelve 
just  as  I  was  passing.  How  strange  it  seems  to  me  that  I  should  thus  be 
nestled  quietly  in  the  very  heart  of  this  old  pile,  that  used  to  be  so  much 
the  scene  of  my  half-romantic  half-meditative  haunts,  during  my  scribbling 
days.  It  is  like  my  sojourn  in  the  halls  of  the  Alhambra.  Am  I  always 
to  have  my  dreams  turned  into  realities? 


362  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

May  13th. — I  have  kept  this  letter  by  me  several  days,  but  have  been 
unable  to  add  a  word,  such  is  the  hurry  of  engagements,  visits,  calls, 
notes,  etc.,  etc.,  in  this  overwhelming  metropolis.  I  have  neither  rest  by 
day  nor  sleep  by  night,  and  am  almost  fagged  out.  I  had  hoped  to  enjoy 
some  delightful  quiet  in  this  glorious  seclusion  of  the  heart  of  the  clois 
ters,  but  the  claims  of  the  world  follow  me  here,  and  keep  me  in  continual 
agitation.  Last  Sunday,  it  is  true,  I  had  a  delicious  treat  in  hearing  the 
cathedral  service  performed  in  a  noble  style,  with  the  chants  of  the  choir, 
and  the  accompaniment  of  the  organ ;  but  besides  this,  I  have  seen  noth 
ing  of  the  Abbey,  excepting  to  pass  to  and  fro,  by  night  and  day,  through 
the  cloisters,  making  the  vaults  and  monuments  echo  with  my  footsteps 
at  midnight. 

I  have  not  been  able  to  call  on  many  of  my  old  friends,  but  have  met 
some  of  them  on  public  occasions.  Many  of  the  literary  men  I  met  at  an 
anniversary  dinner  of  the  Literary  Fund,  at  which  Prince  Albert  pre 
sided.  Here  I  sat  beside  my  friend  Moore.,  the  poet,  who  came  to  town 
to  attend  the  dinner.  He  looks  thinner  than  when  I  last  saw  him,  and 
has  the  cares  and  troubles  of  the  world  thickening  upon  him  as  he 
advances  in  years.  He  has  two  sons;  both  had  commissions  in  the  army. 
The  youngest  has  recently  returned  home,  broken  in  health,  and  in 
danger  of  a  consumption.  The  elder,  Tom,  has  been  rather  wild,  and  is 
on  his  return  from  India,  having,  for  some  unknown  reason,  sold  his 
commission.  The  expenses  of  these  two  sons  bear  hard  upon  poor  Moore, 
and  he  talks  with  some  despondency  of  the  likelihood  of  his  having  to 
come  upon  the  Literary  Fund  for  assistance.  The  Literary  Fund  dinner 
was  very  splendid,  and  there  was  much  dull  speaking  from  various  dis 
tinguished  characters.  I  had  come  to  it  with  great  reluctance,  knowing 
that  my  health  would  be  drank;  and,  though  I  had  determined  not  to 
make  a  speech  in  reply,  yet  the  very  idea  of  being  singled  out,  and  obliged 
to  get  on  my  legs  and  return  thanks,  made  me  nervous  throughout  the 
evening.  The  flattering  speech  of  Sir  Robert  Inglis,  by  which  the  toast 
was  preceded,  and  the  very  warm  and  prolonged  cheering  by  which  it  was 
received,  instead  of  relieving,  contributed  to  agitate  me,  and  I  felt  as  if  J 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  363 

would  never  attend  a  public  dinner  again,  where  I  should  have  to  undergo 
such  a  trial. 

There  is  an  amusing  description,  in  the  Diary  of 
Thomas  Moore,  of  his  endeavors  to  persuade  Mr.  Irving 
to  be  present  at  this  annual  dinner  of  the  Literary  Fund 
Society,  which  I  am  tempted  to  extract  in  this  place, 
though,  in  so  doing,  I  break  off  from  the  letter,  to  return 
to  it,  however,  again :  — 

[From  the  Diary  of  Thomas  Moored] 

May  10th. — Started  for  town,  leaving  our  dear  boy  somewhat  better. 
Found,  with  my  usual  good  luck,  a  note  from  Murray,  asking  me  to  meet 
at  dinner,  to-day,  the  man  of  all  others  T  wanted  to  shake  hands  with  once 
more  —  Washington  Irving.  Called  at  Murray's,  to  say  "Yes,  yes," 
with  all  my  heart. 

1.1th. — Went  to  the  Literary  Fund  Chambers  to  see  what  were  the 
arrangements,  and  where  I  was  to  be  seated,  having,  in  a  note  to  Blewitt, 
the  Secretary,  begged  him  to  place  me  near  some  of  my  own  personal 
friends.  Found  that  I  was  to  be  seated  between  Hallam  and  Washington 
Irving.  All  right.  By  the  by,  Irving  had  yesterday  come  to  Murray's, 
with  the  determination,  as  I  found,  not  to  go  to  the  dinner,  and  all  begged 
of  me  to  use  my  influence  with  him  to  change  this  resolution.  But  he 
told  me  his  mind  was  made  up  on  the  point ;  that  the  drinking  his  health, 
and  the  speech  he  would  have  to  make  in  return,  were  more  than  he  durst 
encounter;  that  he  had  broken  down  at  the  Dickens'  dinner  (of  which  he 
was  chairman)  in  America,  and  obliged  to  stop  short  in  the  middle  of  his 
oration,  which  made  him  resolve  not  to  encounter  another  such  accident, 
in  vain  did  I  represent  to  him  that  a  few  words  would  be  quite  sufficient 
in  returning  thanks.  "That  Dickens'  dinner,"  which  he  always  pro 
nounced  with  strong  emphasis,  hammering  all  the  time  with  his  right 


364  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

arm,  more  suo, —  "that  Dickens'  dinner"  still  haunted  his  imagination, 
and  I  almost  gave  up  all  hope  of  persuading  him.  At  last  1  said  to  him 
"  Well,  now,  listen  to  me  a  moment.  If  you  really  wish  to  distinguish 
yourself,  it  is  by  saying  the  fewest  possible  words  that  you  will  effect  it. 
The  great  fault  with  all  the  speakers,  myself  among  the  number,  will  be 
our  saying  too  much.  But  if  you  content  yourself  with  merely  saying 
that  you  feel  most  deeply  the  cordial  reception  you  have  met  with,  and 
have  great  pleasure  in  drinking  their  healths  in  return,  the  very  simplic 
ity  of  the  address  will  be  more  effective,  from  such  a  man,  than  all  the 
stammered-out  rigmaroles  that  the  rest  of  the  speechifiers  will  vent." 
This  suggestion  seemed  to  touch  him;  and  so  there  I  left  him,  feeling 
pretty  sure  that  I  had  carried  my  point.  It  is  very  odd,  that  while  some 
of  the  shallowest  fellows  go  on  so  glib  and  ready  with  the  tongue,  men 
whose  minds  are  abounding  with  matter  should  find  such  difficulty  in 
bringing  it  out.  I  found  that  Lockhart  also  had  declined  attending  this 
dinner  under  a  similar  apprehension,  and  only  consented  on  condition 
that  his  health  should  not  be  given. 

Whether  Moore's  suggestion  was  adopted  or  not,  cer 
tain  it  is  that  Mr.  Irving  did  little  more  than  bow  his 
thanks  to  the  toast  of  Sir  Robert  Inglis.  Happily,  the 
brilliant  Everett,  never  at  a  loss,  was  there  to  speak  for 
the  honor  of  American  literature. 

I  now  resume  with  some  further  passages  from  the 
letter  to  his  sister  :  — 

1  believe  1  told  you,  in  a  previous  letter,  of  the  public  dinner  that  had 
been  intended  me  at  Liverpool.  I  have  since  received  an  invitation  to 
accept  a  public  dinner  at  Glasgow,  which,  of  course,  I  declined ;  indeed, 
the  manifestations  of  public  regard  which  I  have  continually  experienced 
since  my  arrival  have  been  quite  overpowering. 

Last  evening  I  was  at  the  Queen's  grand  fancy  ball,  which  surpassed, 
in  splendor  and  picturesque  effect,  any  courtly  assemblage  that  1  evei 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  365 

witnessed  or  could  imagine.  The  newspapers  are  full  of  details  of  this 
magnificent  pageant,  and  I  must  refer  you  to  them  for  particulars,  for  the 
whole  is  a  scene  of  bewilderment  in  my  recollection.  There  were  at  least 
two  thousand  persons  present,  all  arrayed  in  historical,  poetical,  or  fanci 
ful  costumes,  or  in  rich  military  or  court  uniforms.  A  kind  of  scheme 
was  given  to  the  whole,  by  making  it  the  representation  of  the  visit  of 
Anne  of  Brittany  (the  character  sustained  by  the  Duchess  of  Cambridge) 
to  the  Court  of  Edward  III.  (Prince  Albert)  and  his  Queen  Philippa  (Queen 
Victoria).  The  respective  sovereigns  had  all  their  courtiers  and  attend 
ants  in  the  costumes  of  the  times,  faithfully  executed  after  old  historical 
paintings  and  engravings.  There  was  a  reality  mingled  with  the  fiction 
of  the  scene.  Here  royalty  represented  royalty,  and  nobility  represented 
nobility.  Many  of  the  personages  present  played  the  parts  of  their  own 
ancestors,  their  dresses  being  faithfully  copied  from  old  family  paintings 
by  Vandyke  and  other  celebrated  persons.  There  was  no  tinsel  nor  stage 
trumpery  in  the  dresses  and  jewels ;  all  was  of  the  richest  materials,  such 
as  the  characters  represented  would  have  worn;  and  there  was  on  all 
sides  a  blaze  of  diamonds  beyond  anything  1  had  ever  seen.  The  saloons 
of  the  palace  were  of  great  size,  so  that  there  was  ample  room  for  display; 
and  nothing  could  surpass  the  effect  of  the  various  groups,  processions, 
etc.,  or  the  splendor  of  the  assemblage  in  the  Throne  Room,  where  Albert 
and  Victoria,  as  Edward  and  Philippa,  were  seated  in  state,  receiving  the 
homage  of  the  brilliant  throng. 

I  had  a  very  favorable  situation  in  one  part  of  the  evening,  near  the 
royal  party,  when  the  different  quadrilles,  each  in  uniform  costumes, 
danced  before  them.  The  personage  who  appeared  least  to  enjoy  the 
scene  seemed  to  me  to  be  the  little  Queen  herself.  She  was  flushed  and 
heated,  and  evidently  fatigued  and  oppressed  with  the  state  she  had  to 
keep  up,  and  the  regal  robes  in  which  she  was  arrayed,  and  especially  by 
a  crown  of  gold,  which  weighed  heavy  on  her  brow,  and  to  which  she  was 
continually  raising  her  hand  to  move  it  slightly  when  it  pressed.  I  hope 
and  trust  her  real  crown  sits  easier.  Prince  Albert  looked  uncommonly 
well  in  his  costume.  He  would  have  realized  the  idea  you  have  no  doubf 
16* 


366  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

formed  of  a  prince,  from  all  that  you  have  read  in  fairy  tales.  He  came 
up  to  where  I  was  standing,  and  held  some  little  conversation  with  me. 
He  speaks  English  very  well,  and  his  manner  is  extremely  bland  and  pre 
possessing. 

THE  SHRUBBERY,  May  lQth. — I  was  interrupted  in  my  letter,  and  had 
to  abandon  it.  Yesterday  I  made  my  escape  from  London,  in  spite  of  a 
host  of  tempting  invitations,  and  came  off  here,  glad  to  get  a  little  repose. 
i  arrived  wearied,  exhausted,  rheumatic  (which  I  have  been  ever  since  my 
arrival  on  the  coast  of  England) ;  and  yesterday  afternoon,  and  all  last 
evening,  could  do  little  else  than  sleep,  to  make  up  for  nights  of  broken 
rest 

A  few  days  afterward  lie  embarked  at  Southampton  for 
France,  in  company  with  Hector  Ames,  of  New  York,  who 
was  to  be  attached  to  the  Legation  at  Madrid,  and  form 
one  of  his  household. 

The  following  characteristic  extract  is  taken  from  a 
letter  to  his  niece,  Sarah  Irving,  an  inmate  of  Sunnyside, 
in  reply  to  some  welcome  intelligence  from  home.  It  is 
dated  five  days  after  his  arrival  in  Paris,  and  is  addressed 
to  her  from  beneath  the  roof  of  his  niece,  Mrs.  Storrow, 
with  whom  he  was  staying  while  in  that  city. 

May  29th,  1842. —  ....  My  visit  to  Europe  has  by  no  means  the 
charm  of  former  visits.  Scenes  and  objects  have  no  longer  the  effect  of 
novelty  with  me.  I  am  no  longer  curious  to  see  great  sights  or  great 
people,  and  have  been  so  long  accustomed  to  a  life  of  quiet  that  I  find  the 
turmoil  of  the  world  becomes  irksome  to  me.  Then  I  have  a  house  of  my 
own,  a  little  domestic  world,  created  in  a  manner  by  my  own  hand,  which 
I  have  left  behind,  and  which  is  continually  haunting  my  thoughts,  and 
coming  in  contrast  with  the  noisy,  tumultuous,  heartless  world  in  which 
t  am  called  to  mingle.  However,  I  am  somewhat  of  a  philosopher,  and 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  367 

can  accommodate  myself  to  changes,  so  I  shall  endeavor  to  resign  myseli 
to  the  splendor  of  courts  and  the  conversation  of  courtiers,  comforting 
myself  with  the  thought  that  the  time  will  arrive  when  I  shall  once  more 
return  to  sweet  little  Sunnyside,  and  be  able  to  sit  on  a  stone  fence,  and 
talk  about  politics  and  rural  affairs  with  neighbor  Forkel  and  Uncle 
Brom. 

In  a  similar  vein  he  writes  to  his  sister  Mrs.  Paris,  the 
same  day : — 

.  .  .  .  Hitherto,  since  my  arrival  in  Paris,  I  have  been  living  very 
quietly,  avoiding  all  engagements,  that  I  might  pass  my  time  as  much 
as  possible  with  Sarah  ;  but  now  I  shall  have  to  launch  in  some  degree 
into  society.  1  have  to  make  diplomatic  calls  in  company  with  our  Min 
ister,  General  Cass,  and  these  will  lead,  more  or  less,  to  various  engage 
ments.  Fortunately,  the  fashionable  season  is  over  ;  the  royal  family 
are  absent,  and  there  is  less  call  for  visits  of  ceremony  and  crowded  enter 
tainments.  Still  I  feel  a  mortal  repugnance  to  launching  into  the  stream 
of  public  life,  and  I  cling  as  long  as  possible  to  the  quiet  shore  I  am  about 
to  leave.  I  endeavor  to  conform  to  our  old  family  motto,  Sub  sole  sub 
umbra  virens  (nourishing  in  the  sun  and  in  the  shade) ;  but  I  think,  upon 
the  whole,  I  am  more  calculated  for  the  shade. 

My  predecessor,  Mr.  Vail,  expects  me  early  in  July,  and  is  anxious  to 
leave  Madrid  with  his  family  before  the  intense  heats  of  summer.  I  have 
made  a  kind  of  half  arrangement  by  letter,  with  Mr.  Vail,  by  which  I 
shall  take  up  my  quarters  with  him  when  I  arrive,  and  pretty  much  take 

his  establishment,  carriage,  furniture,  and  servants  off  his  hands 

I  shall  thus  have  a  home  at  once  on  my  arrival,  without  being  subjected 
to  the  loss  of  time  and  trouble,  the  bother,  and  perplexity,  and  cheatery, 
which  I  would  otherwise  incur  in  forming  an  establishment.  I  mention 
this  to  you  because  I  know  you  are  anxious  on  this  point 

Not  long  after  he  entertains  the  same  correspondent 
with  the  following : — 


368  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

PARIS,  June  10, 1842. 
MY  DEAR  SISTER  : — 

A  few  days  since  I  drove  out,  in  the  evening,  with  our  Minister,  Gen 
eral  Cass,  to  Neuilly,  one  of  the  royal  country  residences  near  Paris,  to  be 
presented  to  the  King.  Neuilly  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  an  English 
park,  through  which  we  had  a  pleasant  drive.  I  observed  sentinels  sta 
tioned  here  and  there  about  the  park— a  precaution  taken  in  consequence 
of  the  repeated  attempts  upon  the  life  of  the  King.  Louis  Philippe,  I  am 
told,  is  extremely  annoyed,  in  his  rides  on  horseback  about  the  park,  at 
finding  himself  thus  under  perpetual  surveillance.  He  says  he  is  almost 
as  badly  off  as  Napoleon  at  Longwood,  who  could  never  find  himself  out 
of  sight  of  a  sentinel. 

A  suite  of  saloons  on  the  ground  floor  of  the  palace  were  lighted  up. 
Very  little  formality  is  observed  in  these  country  receptions.  Passing 
through  a  number  of  domestics  in  the  entrance  hall,  we  found  our  way 
from  one  chamber  to  another,  until  we  came  to  where  the  company  were 
assembled  in  a  central  saloon.  The  Queen  and  Madame  Adelaide  (sister 
to  the  King)  were  seated  with  several  ladies,  at  a  round  table,  at  work. 
The  King  was  conversing  by  turns  with  gentlemen  who  were  standing  in 
groups  round  the  room,  some  few  of  whom  (General  Cass  and  myself 
among  the  number),  who  were  there  on  ceremony,  were  in  court  uniforms. 
The  King  was  simply  dressed  in  black,  with  pantaloons  and  shoes.  I  am 
thus  particular  in  noting  his  dress,  knowing  your  curiosity  with  respect 
to  royalty,  and  lest  you  should  suppose  that  kings  and  queens  are  always 
in  long  velvet  robes,  with  golden  crowns  on  their  heads.  The  King  has 
altered  much  since  1  last  saw  him  (which  was  in  1830,  when  he  took  the 
oaths  of  office).  Age  may  begin  to  weigh  upon  him,  but  care,  no  doubt, 
still  more.  He  is  less  erect  than  he  used  to  be,  and  at  times  stoops  con 
siderably.  How  different  from  what  he  was  when  1  first  saw  him,  nearly 
twenty  years  since — as  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  in  hussar  uniform,  mounted 
on  a  superb  horse,  in  a  public  procession,  the  admiration  of  every  eye  I 
Still  he  is  a  fine-looking  man  for  his  years,  and  appeared  to  be  in  good 
health  and  good  spirits,  laughing  heartily  with  some  of  those  with  whom 
he  was  conversing.  In  his  conversation  with  General  Cuss  and  myself,  he 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  369 

spoke  of  American  affairs,  and  showed  himself  to  be  minutely  observant 
of  all  that  was  passing  in  our  country,  and  of  the  state  of  its  relations 
with  its  neighbors  in  Canada,  Texas,  and  Mexico.  I  am  told  he  keeps 
a  vigilant  eye  upon  the  newspapers,  and  thus  informs  himself  of  what  is 
going  on  in  all  parts  of  the  world. 

The  Queen,  who  is  a  most  excellent,  amiable  person,  is  pale  and  thin, 
with  blue  eyes,  and  hair  quite  white.  Nothing  can  be  kinder  than  her 
manners.  Her  life  is  an  anxious  one.  The  repeated  attempts  upon  the 
life  of  her  husband,  and  even  of  her  sons,  have  filled  her  with  alarm,  and 
i  am  told  she  is  in  a  state  of  nervous  agitation  whenever  they  are  absent 
on  some  public  occasion  of  ceremony.  She  is  a  devoted  wife  and  mother, 
a  perfect  pattern  in  the  domestic  relations  of  life.  The  King's  sister, 
Madame  Adelaide,  is  a  woman  of  more  force  of  character;  resembles  the 
King  in  features,  possesses  vigorous  good  sense  and  great  ambition.  She 
is  said  to  take  great  interest  in  public  affairs,  and  in  the  stability  of  her 
brother's  throne. 

In  a  letter  to  myself,  dated  June  26,  he  mentions  the 
arrival  in  Paris  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  his  Secretary  of 
Legation,  and  J.  Carson  Brevoort,  one  of  his  attaches, 
and  adds : 

Being  now  joined  by  my  household,  I  shall  set  forward  for  Spain  as 
soon  as  possible,  though  I  suppose  they  will  want  a  little  time  at  Paris  to 
fit  themselves  out.  I  am  anxious  to  be  at  my  post,  to  have  my  establish 
ment  formed,  my  books  and  papers  about  me,  and  to  get  settled.  The 
restless  life  I  have  led  for  some  months  past  has  grown  extremely  irk 
some,  and  the  continual  shifting  of  the  scene,  and  of  the  dramatis  per 
sona1,  distracts  my  mind  without  interesting  me.  I  am  too  old  a  frequen 
ter  of  the  theatre  of  life  to  be  much  struck  with  novelty,  pageant,  or 
stage  effect,  and  could  willingly  have  remained  in  my  little  private  loge 
at  Sunnyside,  and  dozed  out  the  rest  of  the  performance. 
VOL.  a.— 34 


CHAPTEE  XXYL 

ARRIVAL  AT  MADRID. — HIS  NEW  HOME.— DUKE  DE  GOB.— AUDIENCE  OP  THB 
MINISTER  OF  FOREIGN  AFFAIRS. — INTERVIEW  WITH  THE  REGENT. — AUDIENCE 
OF  THE  QUEEN. — THE  ROUTINE  OF  A  DAT. 

|FTER  being  detained  in  Paris  somewhat  longer 
than  he  had  wished,  Mr.  Irving  set  out  for  Mad 
rid  in  company  with  the  future  members  of  his 
diplomatic  family.  He  reached  his  post  on  the  morning 
of  July  25th,  and  at  once  found  himself  the  master  of  a 
new  home.  Five  days  after  his  arrival  he  writes : — 

I  am  completely  installed  in  the  late  residence  of  Mr.  Vail,  and  shall 
probably  continue  to  reside  there  for  some  time  to  come,  as  it  is  not  easy 
to  find  a  suitable  habitation  in  that  part  of  the  city  which  I  should  prefer. 
I  am  in  one  wing,  or  half,  of  the  hotel  of  the  Duke  of  San  Lorenzo ;  the 
opposite  wing  is  occupied  by  Mr.  Albuquerque,  Brazilian  resident  Min- 
ister,  who  married  one  of  the  Miss  Oakeys,  of  New  York,  so  that  we  have 
a  very  pleasant  and  intelligent  countrywoman  for  near  neighbor.  We 
are  not  far  from  the  royal  library  and  the  royal  palace. 

The  other  morning,  as  I  was  seated  in  the  saloon  conversing  with  a 
gentleman,  the  servant  announced  the  Duke  de  Gor  ;  in  a  moment  I  was 
in  his  arms.  You  may  remember  that  this  was  the  nobleman  with  whom  J 
was  so  intimate  at  Granada,  at  whose  house  I  was  so  often  a  guest,  and  who, 
•with  bis  children,  made  me  frequent  visits  in  the  Alhambra.  He  is  no* 

970 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING.  371 

resident  with  his  family  in  Madrid.  I  cannot  express  to  you  how  rejoiced 
I  was  to  see  him.  He  is  a  most  estimable  character  in  every  respect  ;  one 
of  the  Moderados,  and  therefore  not  exactly  in  favor  with  the  party 
in  power.  He  is  a  leading  man,  however,  in  all  public  institutions,  and 
the  Duchess  is  at  the  head  of  many  of  the  charitable  institutions.  The 
Duke  gave  me  anecdotes  of  my  friends  in  Granada.  Mateo,  on  the 
strength  of  my  writings,  is  quite  the  cicerone  of  Granada  and  the  Alham- 
bra.  Dolores  and  her  husband  reside  elsewhere.  The  lovely  little  Nina, 
the  daughter  of  the  old  Count,  she  who  was  quite  my  admiration  and  de 
light,  is  dead The  Duke  was  accompanied  by  a  young  gen* 

tleman,  whom  he  recalled  to  my  recollection  as  little  Nicholas,  alias  El 
Rey  CJiico,  who,  a  very  small  boy,  had  chased  bats  about  the  vaulted 

halls  of  the  Alhambra 

An  evening  or  two  since,  I  had  my  audience  of  the  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs,  the  Count  Almodovar,  who  received  me  in  the  most  courteous 
manner,  expressing  his  satisfaction  at  my  being  sent  to  this  court.  I  de 
livered  him  an  official  copy  of  the  President's  letter  to  the  Queen,  and 
requested  that  a  day  might  be  assigned  for  me  to  present  the  original  to 
the  Regent.  The  day  after  to-morrow  (Monday),  at  one  o'clock,  is  ap 
pointed  for  the  ceremonial.  Mr.  Albuquerque  (hitherto  charge  d'affaires) 
will  present  his  letters  of  credence  as  resident  Minister  at  the  same  time. 
This  ceremony  over,  1  shall  be  a  regularly  accredited  Minister,  and  will 
then  make  my  visits  of  ceremony  to  the  heads  of  departments  and  the 
gentlemen  of  the  diplomatic  corps.  I  am  curious  to  have  this  presen 
tation,  that  I  may  have  an  interview  with  Espartero,  the  Regent,  who 
certainly  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  men  of  the  age.  I  have  as  yet 
only  seen  him  one  day  in  public,  on  the  Prado,  when  I  was  pleased  with 
his  soldier-like  air  and  manly  deportment. 

The  following  letter  relates  his  audience  with  the  Re 
gent  and  the  Queen,  and  reads,  in  some  of  its  particulars, 
like  a  chapter  in  the  romance  of  history.  In  sending  it 
unsealed  to  Mrs.  Storrow,  at  Paris,  to  be  read  and  for- 


372  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

warded,  he  writes  :  "  You  are  carious  about  the  little 
Queen  and  her  sister.  The  enclosed  letter  to  your  mother 
will  give  you  some  particulars  about  them.  I  feel  a  great 
interest  in  them,  isolated  as  they  are  at  such  a  tender 
age,  surrounded  by  dreary  magnificence,  and  by  the  po 
litical  and  military  precautions  incident  to  the  present 
position  of  the  government." 

[To  Mrs.  Paris.  New  Yorlc.] 

MADRID,  August  3,  1848. 

MY  DEAB  SISTEE: — 

The  day  before  yesterday  I  had  my  audience  of  the  Regent,  Espartero, 
Duke  of  Victoria,  to  present  to  him  my  original  letter  of  credence  from 
the  President  to  the  Queen.  I  was  accompanied  by  Mr.  Vail,  who  went 
to  take  leave,  and  by  Alexander  Hamilton  as  Secretary  of  Legation.  We 
were  in  diplomatic  uniform.  The  Regent  resides  in  a  very  spacious  palace 
called  Buena  Vista,  formerly  belonging  to  the  Prince  of  the  Peace.  It 
has  an  elevated  site,  with  terraces  in  front,  so  that  it  might  resist  an 
attack  and  maintain  a  respectable  defense — an  important  consideration 
in  the  residence  of  the  present  military  head  of  the  government,  who  is 
surrounded  by  dangers,  and  the  object  of  incessant  machinations. 

We  passed  by  sentinels  posted  at  the  entrance  and  in  various  parts  of 
the  palace,  and  were  introduced  into  an  anteroom  of  spacious  dimensions, 
with  busts  of  Espartero  in  two  of  the  corners,  and  a  picture  of  him  in  one 
of  his  most  celebrated  battles.  Some  of  his  officers  and  aides-de-camp 
wore  in  this  room,  as  well  as  Mr.  Cavalcanti  de  Albuquerque,  chargS 
d'affaires  of  Brazil,  who  came  to  deliver  letters  of  credence  as  resident 
Minister.  After  a  little  while  we  (Mr.  Vail,  Hamilton,  and  myself)  were 
ushered  into  an  inner  saloon,  at  one  end  of  which  Espartero  stationed 
himself,  with  Count  Almodovar,  Minister  of  State,  on  his  right  hand.  1 
advanced,  and  read  in  Spanish  a  short  address,  stating  that  I  had  the 
honor  of  delivering  the  letter  of  the  President  to  the  Queen  into  his 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  373 

hands,  as  Regent  of  the  kingdom,  and  expressing  the  sentiments  of  re~ 
spect  and  good-will  entertained  by  my  government  for  the  sovereign  oi 
this  country,  for  its  institutions,  and  its  people ;  its  desire  to  draw  still 
closer  the  bonds  of  comity  which  exist  between  the  two  nations,  and  its 
ardent  wish  for  the  prosperity  and  glory  of  Spain  under  its  present  con 
stitutional  form  of  government.  I  concluded  by  expressing  my  own  feel 
ings  of  gratification  in  being  appointed  to  a  mission,  the  only  object  of 
which,  1  trusted,  would  be  to  cultivate  the  relations  of  good-will  between 
my  own  country  and  a  country  which  I  had  ever  held  in  the  highest 
consideration.  My  address  was  well  received,  and  the  Regent  replied  in 
a  manly,  frank,  cordial,  and  courteous  manner,  responding  to  the  expres 
sions  of  national  good-will,  and  ending  with  some  complimentary 
expressions  to  myself.  I  then  introduced  Mr.  Hamilton  as  Secretary  of 
Legation,  after  which,  Mr.  Vail  having  taken  leave  of  the  Regent  with 
mutual  expressions  of  respect  and  good-will,  we  retired  to  the  anteroom, 
to  make  way  for  the  Brazilian  Minister. 

It  being  signified  to  us  that  the  Queen  would  receive  us  at  the  royal 
palace,  we  drove  thither,  but  had  to  wait  some  time  in  the  apartment  of 
Count  Almodovar.  After  a  while  we  had  notice  that  the  Queen  was  pre 
pared,  to  receive  us.  We  accordingly  passed  through  the  spacious  court, 
up  the  noble  staircase,  and  through  the  long  suites  of  apartments  of  this 
splendid  edifice,  most  of  them  silent  and  vacant,  the  casements  closed  to 
keep  out  the  heat,  so  that  a  twilight  reigned  throughout  the  mighty  pile, 
not  a  little  emblematical  of  the  dubious  fortunes  of  its  inmates.  It 
seemed  more  like  traversing  a  convent  than  a  palace.  I  ought  to  have 
mentioned,  that  on  ascending  the  grand  staircase,  we  found  the  portal  at 
the  head  of  it,  opening  into  the  royal  suite  of  apartments,  still  bearing 
the  marks  of  the  midnight  attack  upon  the  palace  in  October  last,  when 
an  attempt  was  made  to  get  possession  of  the  persons  of  the  little  Queen 
and  her  sister,  to  carry  them  off,  that  their  presence  might  give  strength 
and  authority  to  the  party  of  the  Queen-mother  (Queen  Maria  Christina, 
now  at  Paris),  in  any  contemplated  insurrection  or  invasion  of  the  coun 
try  to  regain  the  authority  which  she  had  abdicated.  The  marble  case 
ments  of  the  doors  had  been  shattered  in  several  places,  and  the  double 


374  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

doors  themselves  pierced  all  over  with  bullet-holes,  from  the  musketry 
that  played  upon  them  from  the  staircase  during  that  eventful  night. 
What  must  have  been  the  feelings  of  those  poor  children,  on  listening, 
from  their  apartment,  to  the  horrid  tumult,  the  outcries  of  a  furious 
multitude,  and  the  reports  of  firearms,  echoing  and  reverberating  through 
the  vaulted  halls  and  spacious  courts  of  this  immense  edifice,  and  dubious 
whether  their  own  lives  were  not  the  object  of  the  assault ! 

After  passing  through  various  chambers  of  the  palace,  now  silent 
and  sombre,  but  which  I  had  traversed  in  former  days  on  grand  court 
occasions  in  the  time  of  Ferdinand  VII.,  when  they  were  glittering  with 
all  the  splendor  of  a  court,  we  paused  in  a  great  saloon,  with  high, 
vaulted  ceiling  incrusted  with  florid  devices  in  porcelain,  and  hung  with 
silken  tapestry,  but  all  in  dim  twilight  like  the  rest  of  the  palace.  At 
one  end  of  the  saloon  a  door  opened  to  an  almost  interminable  range  of 
other  chambers,  through  which,  at  a  distance,  we  had  a  glimpse  of  some 
indistinct  figures  in  black.  They  glided  into  the  saloon  slowly,  and  with 
noiseless  steps.  It  was  the  little  Queen  with  her  governess,  Madame  Mina, 
widow  of  the  general  of  that  name,  and  her  guardian,  the  excellent  Ar- 
guelles,  all  in  deep  mourning  for  the  Duke  of  Orleans.  The  little  Queen 
advanced  some  steps  within  the  saloon,  and  then  paused ;  Madame  Mina 
took  her  station  a  little  distance  behind  her.  The  Count  Almodovar 
then  introduced  me  to  the  Queen  in  my  official  capacity,  and  she  received 
me  with  a  grave  and  quiet  welcome,  expressed  in  a  very  low  voice.  She 
is  nearly  twelve  years  of  age,  and  is  sufficiently  well  grown  for  her  years. 
She  has  a  somewhat  fair  complexion,  quite  pale,  with  bluish  or  light  gray 
eyes;  a  grave  demeanor,  but  a  graceful  deportment.  I  could  not  but 
regard  her  with  deep  interest,  knowing  what  important  concerns  depend 
ed  upon  the  life  of  this  fragile  little  being,  and  to  what  a  stormy  and  pre 
carious  career  she  might  be  destined.  Her  solitary  position,  also,  separa 
ted  from  all  her  kindred  except  her  little  sister,  a  mere  effigy  of  royalty  in 
the  hands  of  statesmen,  and  surrounded  by  the  formalities  and  ceremo 
nials  of  state,  which  spread  sterility  around  the  occupant  of  a  throne.  1 
must  observe,  however,  that  the  little  Queen  and  her  sister  are  treated 
with  great  deference  and  protecting  kindness;  that  in  Madame  Mina,  and 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING,  375 

In  the  upright,  intelligent,  and  kind-heated  Arguelles,  they  hare  the  best 
of  guardians 

As  I  was  retiring  from  the  presence  chamber,  I  was  overtaken  by 
Arguelles,  who  accosted  me  in  the  most  cordial  manner,  reminding  me  of 
our  having  met  in  London,  at  the  time  of  my  return  from  Spain,  when  he 
was  in  a  state  of  exile.  I  had  not  recollected  the  circumstance,  though  I 
well  remembered  having  heard  him  often  spoken  of,  during  my  former 
residence  in  Spain,  as  one  of  the  best  spirits  of  the  nation.  He  promised 
to  call  upon  me,  and  I  looked  forward  with  interest  to  cultivating  an 
intimacy  with  a  man  who  holds  in  his  hands  a  sacred  trust,  so  important 
to  the  future  destinies  of  Spain.  He  and  Espartero  are  men  I  felt  extreme 
interest  in  seeing.  Espartero  is  a  fine,  manly,  soldier-like  fellow,  with  a 
frank  deportment,  a  face  full  of  resolution  and  intelligence,  and  a  bright, 
beaming  black  eye.  He  was  dressed  in  full  uniform,  with  various  orders. 
He  has  before  him  a  grand  career,  if  he  follows  it  out  as  he  has  begun, 
and  is  permitted  to  carry  it  to  a  successful  termination.  I  am  inclined  to 
think  his  ambition  of  the  right  kind,  and  that  he  has  the  good  of  his 
country  at  heart.  If  he  can  conduct  the  affairs  of  Spain  through  the 
storms  and  quicksands  that  beset  his  regency ;  if  he  can  establish  the  pre 
sent  constitutional  form  of  government  on  a  firm  basis,  and,  when  the 
Queen  arrives  at  the  age  to  mount  the  throne,  resign  the  power  into  her 
hands,  and  give  up  Spain  to  her,  reviving  in  its  industry  and  its  resources, 
peaceful  at  home  and  respected  abroad,  he  will  leave  a  name  in  history  to 
be  enrolled  among  the  most  illustrious  of  patriots. 

I  cannot  but  feel  a  deep  interest  in  the  fortunes  of  this  harassed, 
impoverished,  depressed,  yet  proud-spirited  and  noble  country,  and  a  most 
earnest  desire  to  see  it  relieved  from  its  troubles  and  embarrassments, 
and  reestablished  in  a  prosperous  and  independent  stand  among  the 
nations 

I  am  looking  for  the  arrival  of  my  books  and  papers,  which  were  for 
warded  from  New  York  to  Cadiz.  As  soon  as  I  receive  them,  I  shall  set 
to  work  at  my  "Life  of  Washington,"  and  foresee  that  I  shall  have 
abundant  leisure  here  for  literary  occupation. 


376  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

These  expectations  of  leisure  for  literary  occupation 
were  doomed  to  be  sadly  frustrated  by  a  long  indisposi 
tion,  and  other  interruptions  consequent  upon  his  diplo 
matic  position. 

The  following,  addressed  to  a  niece,  a  daughter  of  his 
deceased  sister,  then  residing  temporarily  at  Sunnyside, 
gives  an  interesting  picture  of  a  day's  life  at  Madrid : — 

[To' Mrs.  E.  R.] 

MADRID,  August  16,  1842. 

MY  DEAR  ELIZA  : — 

.  .  .  .  Having  no  news  to  tell  you  that  is  not  in  the  other  letters 
to  the  family,  I  shall  give  you  a  picture  of  the  routine  of  one  day,  which 
will  serve  pretty  much  for  a  specimen  of  every  day  in  the  week.  I  rise 
about  five  o'clock,  that  I  may  have  a  good  start  of  the  sun,  which  rules 
like  a  tyrant  throughout  the  day.  Throwing  open  the  doors  and  windows 
of  my  chamber  to  admit  a  free  current  of  the  morning  air,  I  occupy 
myself  reading  and  writing  until  about  eight  o'clock.  At  this  time  the 
distant  sound  of  military  music  gives  notice  of  the  troops  on  their  way  to 
relieve  guard  at  the  royal  palace.  In  a  little  while  the  horse-guards  pass 
under  my  window,  with  a  band  of  music  on  horseback,  performing  some 
favorite  march  or  military  air.  I  watch  and  listen  as  they  prance  down 
the  street,  between  spacious  dwellings  of  the  nobility,  and  turn  into  the 
passage  leading  to  the  palace  ;  by  this  time  another  band  of  music  comes 
swelling  from  a  distance,  and  the  foot-guards  approach  in  quick  step  to 
some  glorious  march  or  waltz  ;  by  the  time  these  have  disappeared,  I  am 
summoned  to  breakfast,  which  is  always  a  lively  meal  with  us.  While  we 
are  seated  at  breakfast,  we  again  hear  the  strains  of  military  music,  and 
the  troops  come  back  from  relieving  guard,  reversing  the  order  of  their 
march  — the  foot-guards  coming  first,  and  the  horse-guards  afterward. 
This  pageant,  which  invariably  takes  pi. ice  at  the  same  hour  every  morn- 
Ing,  is  a  regale  of  which  we  never  get  tired.  On  our  breakfast  table  are 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  377 

laid  the  Madrid  gazettes,  which  seldom  contain   anything  of  peculiar 
interest.     Shortly  after  breakfast  arrives  the  mail,  with  Paris  and  London 
papers,    which  occupy  us  some  time  in  reading  and  discussing  news. 
Should  the  mail  bring,  as  it  sometimes  does,  a  packet  of  letters  for  the 
different  members  of  the  household,  giving  us  the  news  and  gossip  of 
home,  there  is  a  complete  scene  of  excitement,    each  hurrying  on  his 
letters,  and  calling  out,  every  moment,  some  piece  of  intelligence,  or  some 
amusing  anecdote.     This  over,  we  separate  to  our  different  rooms  and 
pursuits,  exchanging  visits  occasionally,  as  circumstances  may  require  or 
humors  dictate.     The  front  windows  of  my  apartments  look  into  one  of 
the  main  streets,  traversing  the  city  from  the  Prado,  or  public  walk,  to 
the  royal  palace,  so  that  every  movement  of  consequence  is  sure  to  pass 
through  it.     Immediately  opposite  some  of  my  windows  is  a  small  square, 
with  the  ayuntamiento,  or  town  hall,  on  one  side,  and  a  huge  mansion  on 
the  other,  in  a  tower  of  which  Francis  I.  is  said  to  have  been  confined 
when  a  prisoner  in  Madrid.     In  the  center  of  this  square  is  a  public 
fountain,  thronged  all  day,  and  until  a  late  hour  of  the  night,  by  water 
carriers,  male  and  female  servants,  and  the  populace  of  the  neighborhood, 
all  waiting  for  their  turns  to  replenish  their  kegs,  pitchers,  and  other 
water  vessels.     An  officer  of  police  attends  to  regulate  their  turns ;  but 
such  is  the  demand  for  water  in  this  thirsty  climate  at  this  thirsty  season, 
that  the  fountain  is  a  continual  scene  of  strife  and  clamor.     The  groups 
that  form  around  it,  however,  in  their  different  costumes,  are  extremely 
picturesque.     My  day,  during  the  hot  weather,  is  chiefly  passed  in  my 
bedroom,    which  I  likewise   make  my  study,     It  is  lofty  and  spacious, 
about  thirty  feet  by  twenty-two.     The  heat  of  day  is  shut  out,  as  in  the 
rest  of  the  house,  and  just  sufficient  light  admitted  to  permit  me  to  read 
and  write.     Indeed,  a  kind  of  twilight  reigns  throughout  a  Spanish  house 
during  the  summer  heats.     At  five  o'clock  we  dine,  after  which  some 
take  a  siesta,  or  lounge  about  until  the  evening  is  sufficiently  advanced  to 
take  a  promenade  either  on  the  Prado,  or  on  the  esplanade  in  front  of  the 
royal  palace.     Such  is  the  dull  heat,  however,  that  occasionally  lingers  in 
the  streets,  that  I  frequently  remain  at  home  all  the  evening,  taking  my 
seat  in  the  balcony  of  my  room,  where  1  can  catch  any  night-breeze  that 


378  LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  IRVING. 

is  stirring,  and  can  overlook  the  street.  Between  nine  and  ten  a  running 
footman  gives  notice,  by  the  sound  of  a  bugle,  of  the  approach  of  the 
Queen,  on  her  return  from  her  evening's  drive  in  the  Retiro  and  in  the 
Prado.  Next  come  three  or  four  horsemen  in  advance;  then  the  royal 
carriage,  drawn  by  six  horses,  in  which  are  the  little  Queen  and  her  sister, 
and  their  ay/i,  or  governess,  Madame  Mina.  As  the  carriage  is  an  open 
barouche,  and  passes  immediately  under  my  balcony,  I  have  a  full  view 
of  these  poor,  innocent  little  beings,  in  whose  isolated  situation  I  take  a 
great  interest.  Mounted  attendants  ride  beside  the  carriage,  and  it  is 
followed  by  a  troop  of  horse,  after  which  comes  another  carriage  and  six, 
with  those  whose  duties  bring  them  in  immediate  attendance  upon  the 
persons  of  the  Queen  and  Princess.  After  this  cortege  has  passed  by,  I 
continue  in  my  balcony  until  a  late  hour,  enjoying  the  gradually  cooling 
night  air,  which  grows  more  and  more  temperate  until  toward  midnight, 
when  I  go  to  bed. 

Such  is  the  routine  of  most  of  my  days  during  this  hot  weather,  oc 
casionally  varied  by  a  sultry  visit  of  ceremony  in  the  course  of  the  day, 
or  a  stroll  late  in  the  evening  to  the  Prado,  or  the  esplanade  about  the 
palace 

I  have  as  yet  been  but  once  to  the  royal  museum  of  paintings,  but  it 
was  like  a  peep  into  a  gold  mine.  The  collection  was  one  of  the  very 
best  in  Europe  when  I  was  here  before,  but  such  treasures  have  been 
added  to  it  of  late  years,  that  to  my  mind,  it  surpasses  all  others  that  I 
have  seen.  This  of  itself  will  be  an  inexhaustible  resource  to  m«. 


CHAPTER  XXVIL 

LETTER  TO  MRS.  PARIS. — SKETCH  OF  SPANISH  POLITICS  AND  SPANISH  CHARAC 
TERS. — THE  INSURRECTION  IN  OCTOBER,  1841. — ATTEMPT  TO  GET  POSSES 
SION  OF  THE  PERSON  OF  THE  QUEEN. — THE  ROYAL  PALACE. — ITS  SITUATION. 
— DETAILS  OF  HIS  FIRST  AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  QUEEN. — HIS  SYMPATHY  IN 
HER  POSITION. — DIPLOMATIC  THEMES.  —  CURIOSITY  ABOUT  THE  DELIVERY 
OF  HIS  CREDENTIALS. — LOUIS  PHILIPPE. 

HE  long  domestic  letter  which  I  now  offer,  gives 
a  peep  into  the  affairs  of  the  Court,  and  abounds 
in  details  which  will  account  to  us  for  the  deep 
interest  Mr.  Irving  took  in  his  first  audience  with  the 
little  Queen.  "  I  must  confess,"  he  writes,  "  the  more  I 
get  acquainted  with  the  present  state  of  Spanish  politics 
and  the  position  of  the  government,  the  more  does  the 
whole  assume  a  powerful  dramatic  interest,  and  I  shall 
watch  with  great  attention  every  shifting  of  the  scene. 
The  future  career  of  this  gallant  soldier,  Espartero,  whose 
merits  and  services  have  placed  him  at  the  head  of  the 
government,  and  the  future  fortunes  of  these  isolated 
little  princesses,  the  Queen  and  her  sister,  have  an  un 
certainty  hanging  about  them  worthy  of  the  fifth  act  of 
a  melodrama." 

379 


380  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

[To  Mrs.  Paris,  Tarrytown.] 

MADRID,  September  2,  1848. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  : — 

In  the  letter  last  received  from  you,  dated  July  19th,  you  give  me,  as 
usual,  a  world  of  news  from  the  cottage.  I  will,  in  return,  give  you  a 
little  history  of  the  palace.  I  know  you  like  to  hear,  now  and  then,  what 
is  going  on  in  the  grand  world,  and,  from  your  little  sheltered  country 
nook,  to  "take  a  peep  at  royalty."  So  I  will  perform  the  promise  I  made 
you  in  a  former  letter,  to  give  you  an  inkling  of  Spanish  politics,  that  you 
may  understand  the  present  state  of  this  harassed  country. 

Spain,  having  long  experienced  the  evils  of  an  absolute  monarchy, 
where  the  will  of  the  monarch  was  supreme  law,  has  made  repeated  strug 
gles  to  establish  a  constitutional  form  of  government,  such  as  is  enjoyed 
in  England  and  France,  where  the  power  of  the  king  is  limited  and  con 
trolled  by  the  constitution,  and  where  the  people  have  a  voice  in  affairs 
through  elective  chambers  of  legislation.  It  succeeded  in  forming  such  a 
constitution  in  1812,  with  the  approbation  of  its  sovereign,  Ferdinand 
VII.,  who  was  at  that  time  detained  by  Napoleon  in  France.  The  consti 
tution  was  overthrown  by  Napoleon,  who  placed  his  brother  Joseph  on 
the  throne.  At  the  downfall  of  Napoleon,  Ferdinand  regained  his  throne : 
but,  false  to  the  nation,  he  refused  to  restore  the  constitution,  persecuted 
those  who  had  supported  it,  and  reigned  absolute  monarch.  A  revolu 
tion,  in  1820.  was  the  consequence  ;  the  constitution  was  again  pro 
claimed,  and  Ferdinand  again  swore  to  support  it,  declaring  that,  in  op 
posing  it,  he  had  acted  under  the  influence  of  bad  advisers.  A  French 
army,  sent  by  Charles  X.,  again  trampled  down  the  constitution,  and  re 
placed  the  faithless  Ferdinand  in  absolute  power,  which  he  exercised  for 
the  remainder  of  his  worthless  life.  At  the  time  of  my  former  visit  to 
Spain,  he  was  on  the  throne,  and  the  French  troops  which  had  placed  him 
there  still  lingered  in  the  country.  The  liberties  of  Spain  seemed  com 
pletely  prostrate,  and  many  of  her  most  enlightened,  virtuous,  and  patri 
otic  men  were  in  exile. 

In  1329,  Ferdinand  married,  for  his  fourth  wife,  Maria  Christina,  sister 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  381 

of  the  King  of  Naples,  and  niece  of  the  present  Queen  of  France.  By  her 
he  had  two  daughters,  his  only  children.  In  1833,  being  low  in  health, 
without  prospect  of  recovery,  he  became  anxious  to  secure  the  succession 
to  the  throne  to  his  own  progeny ;  but  here  arose  a  difficulty.  By  long 
usage,  the  Salique  law  of  France,  which  excludes  females  from  the  exer 
cise  of  regal  authority,  had  become  naturalized  in  Spain.  According  to 
this,  the  King's  eldest  brother,  Don  Carlos,  being  next  male  heir,  would 
inherit  the  crown.  Ferdinand,  however,  supported  by  the  opinions  of 
men  learned  in  the  law,  revived  the  old  Spanish  law  of  succession,  which 
made  females  equally  entitled  to  inherit  with  males,  and  quoted  the 
reign  of  the  illustrious  Isabella  of  glorious  memory  as  a  case  in  point. 
The  question  agitated  the  country  even  before  the  death  of  Ferdinand. 
Don  Carlos  insisted  on  his  rights,  and  had  a  strong  party  in  his  favor, 
composed  of  many  of  the  aristocracy,  who  knew  him  to  be  an  absolute 
monarchist ;  and  by  the  monks  and  a  great  part  of  the  clergy,  who  knew 
him  to  be  a  bigot.  The  Queen,  Maria  Christina,  of  course,  stood  up  for 
the  rights  of  her  infant  daughter  ;  and  her  cause  was  the  popular  one, 
having  all  the  Liberals,  or  those  who  were  anxious  for  a  constitutional 
government,  in  its  favor. 

Ferdinand  died  in  1833  ;  and,  in  conformity  to  his  will  and  testament, 
his  eldest  daughter,  then  but  three  years  of  age,  was  proclaimed  Queen, 
by  the  name  of  Isabella  II.,  and  her  mother,  Maria  Christina,  Queen  Re 
gent,  to  exercise  the  royal  authority  in  the  name  of  her  daughter,  until 
the  latter  should  be  fourteen  years  of  age,  when,  according  to  Spanish 
law,  she  is  of  age  to  ascend  the  throne.  Maria  Christina  was  likewise 
constituted  guardian  to  the  Queen  during  her  minority. 

Don  Carlos  immediately  raised  the  standard  of  rebellion,  and  here  com 
menced  the  modern  "  war  of  succession  "  which  desolated  Spain  for  seven 
years.  The  liberals  rallied  round  the  standard  of  the  Queen  Regent,  and 
for  a  time  she  was  exceedingly  popular.  Indeed,  never  had  a  woman  a 
better  opportunity  of  playing  a  noble  part  as  a  mother  and  a  sovereign  ; 
but  she  proved  herself  unworthy  of  both  characters.  '  What  first  impaired 
her  popularity  with  the  Liberals  was  the  opposition  which  she  manifested 
to  all  their  plans  of  salutary  reform  :  to  this,  it  was  suspected,  she  was 


382  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

secretly  instigated  by  her  uncle,  Louis  Philippe,  King  of  France,  who, 
though  his  own  power  originated  in  constitutional  reform,  has  constantly 
been  hostile  to  constitutional  reform  in  Spain. 

Another  deadly  blow  to  the  popularity,  and,  indeed,  respectability  of 
the  Queen  Regent,  was  an  unworthy  connection  which  she  formed,  not 
Tery  long  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  with  one  of  the  royal  body 
guards,  named  Munos,  whom  she  subsequently  advanced  in  rank  and  for 
tune.  This  scandalous  connection,  it  is  said,  was  ultimately  reconciled  to 
ideas  of  decency  by  a  private  marriage  ;  though  such  a  marriage  was  not 
valid  in  point  of  Spanish  law,  and,  if  promulgated,  would  have  incapaci 
tated  her  from  acting  as  regent,  or  as  guardian  to  the  Queen.  The  effect 
of  this  connection,  in  fact,  was  to  render  Maria  Christina  remiss  in  the 
exercise  of  her  high  office  as  Regent,  and,  what  was  still  worse,  neglect 
ful  of  her  sacred  duties  to  her  legitimate  children  ;  and  the  little  Queen 
and  her  sister  were  left  to  the  interested  and  venial  services  of  the  attend 
ants  about  a  court,  to  supply  the  want  of  the  vigilant  tenderness  of  a 
mother. 

At  length,  in  1836,  a  popular  movement  wrung  from  the  fears  of  Maria 
Christina  what  it  was  impossible  to  obtain  from  her  gratitude  or  her  sense 
of  justice,  and  she  was  compelled  to  restore  the  constitution  of  1812. 
Prom  this  time  it  is  thought  she  contemplated  the  probability  of  a  retire 
ment  from  Spain.  She  had  already  amassed  great  property  from  her 
yearly  allowance  of  two  millions  of  dollars.  This  was  sent  out  of  the 
kingdom,  as  were  large  sums  arising  from  the  sale  of  every  object  under 
her  control  that  she  could  convert  into  money.  Mufioz,  her  minion,  who 
formerly  appeared  everywhere  with  her  in  public,  had  for  some  time 
ceased  to  make  himself  conspicuous  ;  but  it  was  known  that  she  had  lav 
ished  much  of  her  wealth  on  him  and  his  family,  and  that  her  children 
by  this  degrading  union  had  alienated  her  thoughts  from  her  regal  off 
spring. 

At  length,  in  1839,  the  civil  war  was  brought  to  a  close,  and  Don  Carlos 
driven  from  the  kingdom.  A  patriot  general,  Espartero,  had  risen  to 
great  popularity  and  influence  by  his  successful  campaigns,  and  was  now 
commander-in-chief  of  the  army,  which  idolized  him,  and  virtually  con- 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  383 

troller  of  the  politics  of  the  kingdom.  By  this  time  Maria  Christina  had 
made  herself  an  object  of  popular  distrust,  and  she  gave  a  finishing  blo\* 
to  her  ascendency,  by  signing  an  act  vesting  the  appointment  of  all 
municipal  officers  in  the  Crown  ;  thereby  violating  one  of  the  grand 
principles  of  the  constitution,  and  restoring,  in  a  great  measure,  the  ab 
solute  power  of  the  throne.  This  rash  measure  she  was  secretly  prompted 
to  by  the  French  Minister  resident  at  this  Court  ;  but,  before  signing  the 
act,  she  repaired  to  Barcelona,  under  pretense  of  taking  the  royal  chil 
dren  there  for  sea-bathing,  but,  in  fact,  to  get  the  support  of  General 
Espartero  and  his  victorious  army,  who  were  quartered  in  that  city. 
Maria  Christina  miscalculated  on  her  own  reputed  powers  of  persua 
sion,  and  on  the  persuasibility,  if  I  may  use  the  term,  of  Espartero.  That 
general  remained  true  to  the  popular  cause,  and  warned  her  against  the  con 
sequences  of  the  act  she  contemplated.  She  disregarded  his  advice  and 
his  remonstrances,  and  signed  the  act.  The  consequence  was,  a  burst  of 
indignation  from  all  parts  of  Spain,  under  the  appalling  effects  of  which, 
and  the  public  obloquy  of  her  connection  with  Mufioz,  she  abdicated  the 
regency  and  retired  from  Spain,  leaving  her  royal  children  to  their  for 
tunes.  The  little  Queen  and  her  sister,  then  of  the  respective  ages  of 
ten  and  eight  years,  were  reconducted  in  state  by  Espartero  to  Madrid, 
where  they  were  received  with  acclamation,  replaced  in  their  usual  resi 
dence  in  the  royal  palace,  and  surrounded  with  the  usual  state  and  cere 
mony  accorded  to  their  rank  and  station.  The  office  of  Regent  being 
vacant  by  the  abdication  of  Maria  Christina,  Espartero  was  elected,  and 
has  hitherto  discharged  the  sovereign  duties  with  great  integrity.  Maria 
Christina  having  also  forfeited  her  claims  to  the  guardianship  of  the  Queen 
and  her  sister,  that  important  trust  was  confided  to  Don  Augustine  Ar- 
guelles,  one  of  the  most  intelligent,  upright,  and  patriotic  men  of  Spain, 
who,  for  his  lofty  principles,  suffered  exile  under  the  perfidious  Ferdi 
nand.  A  kind  of  maternal  care  has  likewise  been  exerted  over  the 
children  by  the  Countess  Mina,  widow  of  a  patriot  general.  She  fills  the 
station  of  nyn,  or  governess,  and  is  a  woman  of  amiable  character  and 
unblemished  virtue.  Their  education  is  superintended  by  Quintana,  one 
of  the  most  learned  men  of  the  kingdom  :  the  royal  children,  therefore, 


384  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

are  more  likely  to  be  well  educated  and  trained  up  in  pure  principles  un 
der  the  persons  of  worth  who  now  have  charge  of  them,  than  they  were 
under  the  former  misrule  of  a  corrupt  and  licentious  court.  They  are 
treated,  too,  with  mingled  respect  and  tenderness  ;  still  they  cannot  but 
feel  their  isolated  situation,  without  a  mother's  care,  and  separated  from 

all  their  kindred 

Maria  Christina,  on  leaving  Spain,  repaired  to  the  Court  of  France, 
where  she  was  received  with  great  distinction,  and  where  she  has  since 
resided,  countenanced  and  favored  by  Louis  Philippe  and  his  Queen,  the 
latter  of  whom,  as  I  have  before  observed,  is  her  aunt.  Her  residence  at 
Paris  and  in  its  vicinity  has  become  the  focus  of  all  kinds  of  machinations 
against  the  constitutional  government  of  Spain.  Her  immense  wealth 
gave  her  the  means  of  fomenting  insurrections  ;  and  the  relics  of  the 
rebel  armies,  and  the  rebel  generals  and  nobles  ejected  from  the  kingdom, 
have  lent  themselves  to  her  plans.  Louis  Philippe  is  accused,  and  with 
apparent  justice,  of  having  countenanced  her,  and  secretly  promoted  her 
plans,  in  the  hope  of  increasing  the  power  of  his  family  by  effecting  a 
match  between  one  of  his  sons  and  the  little  Queen.  The  consequence  of 
all  these  plots  beyond  the  Pyrenees  was  an  insurrection  in  the  north  of 
Spain,  in  the  month  of  October  last,  when  General  O'Donnell  (a  Spaniard 
in  spite  of  his  name)  seized  upon  the  citadel  of  Pamplona,  and  proclaimed 
Maria  Christina  Queen  Regent.  The  most  nefarious  part  of  this  plot  was 
an  attempt  to  get  possession  of  the  persons  of  the  little  Queen  and  her 
sister,  and  to  bear  them  off  to  the  rebel  army,  so  as  to  give  it  the  sanc 
tion  of  the  royal  presence.  To  promote  this  plan,  immense  sums  had 
been  spent  in  Madrid  to  corrupt  the  soldiery  and  the  people  about  the 
palace,  and  the  evening  of  the  7th  of  October  was  the  time  appointed  for 
the  attempt.  The  rr  val  palace  stands  on  the  confines  of  the  city,  on  the 
brow  of  a  steep  descent  sweeping  down  into  the  valley  of  the  Manzanares  : 
it  overlooks  the  open  country  toward  the  Guadarrama  Mountains,  which 
is  so  lonely,  in  the  very  vicinity  of  Madrid,  that  ten  minutes'  gallop  from 
its  walls  takes  you  into  scenes  as  savage  and  deserted  as  any  of  Salvator 
Rosa's.  The  palace  is  guarded  every  night  by  a  body  of  troops,  and  is 
capable  of  a  powerful  defense  ;  but  the  troops  who  were  to  mount  guard 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVTNQ.  385 

that  night  were  mostly  under  the  influence  of  Generals  Concha  and  Leon  , 
who  had  been  gained  over  to  the  conspiracy.  Concha  was  an  artful  man, 
related  by  marriage  to  Espartero,  so  that,  in  this  affair,  he  was  guilty  of  a 
double  treason.  Leon  was  a  brave,  warm-hearted,  weak-headed  fellow,  who, 
from  his  popularity  with  the  soldiery,  was  made  use  of  as  a  tool.  It  was  a 
dark,  tempestuous  evening  when  the  attempt  was  made.  A  part  of  the 
armed  force  was  left  to  guard  the  avenues  of  the  palace,  and  Concha  and 
Leon,  with  a  number  of  their  followers,  entered  the  main  portal,  rushed  up 
the  grand  staircase,  and  expected  to  gain  immediate  entrance  through  the 
door  leading  into  the  Queen's  suite  of  apartments,  being  guarded  merely 
by  a  band  of  eighteen  veteran  halberdiers.  To  their  astonishment,  they 
met  with  a  vigorous  repulse  from  these  gallant  fellows,  and  several  of  the 
assailants  were  shot  down.  Repeated  attempts  were  made  to  force  an  en 
trance,  but  were  uniformly  repelled  with  loss.  The  halberdiers  ensconced 
themselves  within  the  apartment,  and  fired  through  the  wood-work  of  the 
door  the  moment  they  heard  footsteps  at  the  head  of  the  staircase.  In  this 
way  the  door  became  completely  riddled  with  bullet-holes,  which  remain 
to  this  day,  and  many  of  the  assailants  were  slain  and  wounded.  In  the 
meantime,  the  situation  of  the  poor  little  Queen  and  her  sister  may  be 
more  easily  imagined  than  described.  The  repeated  discharges  of  fire 
arms,,  which  reverberated  through  the  courts  and  halls  of  the  palace,  the 
mingled  shouts,  and  curses,  and  groans,  and  menaces  which  accompanied 
the  attack,  joined  to  the  darkness  of  the  night  and  the  howling  of  the 
storm,  filled  their  hearts  with  terror.  They  had  no  one  with  them  but 
their  aya,  or  governess,  Madame  Mina,  and  some  of  their  female  attend 
ants,  excepting  their  poor  singing-master,  who  was  as  much  frightened 
as  any  of  the  women.  Ignorant  of  the  object  of  this  attack,  and  fearful 
that  their  own  lives  were  menaced,  the  poor  children  gave  themselves  up 
to  tears  and  outcries.  The  Queen  threw  herself  into  the  arms  of  her 
governess,  crying,  "Aya  mia  (my  dear  aya),  who  are  they  ?  Are  they 
rebels  ?  What  do  they  want  of  me  ? "  The  princess  was  in  convulsions 
In  the  arms  of  an  attendant,  making  the  most  piteous  exclamations.  It 
was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  the  governess  was  able  to  soothe 
them  into  some  degree  of  calmness.  The  noise  of  firearms  continued ; 
VOL.  ii. — 25 


386  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

attempts  were  heard  to  force  a  door  leading  through  a  private  passage 
two  or  three  musket-balls  broke  the  windows  of  the  apartment,  but  were 
stopped  by  the  inside  shutters.  In  the  midst  of  these  horrors,  the  pool 
little  Princess,  trembling  and  sobbing,  called  to  one  of  the  ladies  in  at 
tendance,  "  Inez,  I  wish  to  say  something  to  you  ;  Inez,  I  want  to  pray  ! " 
The  wish  of  the  innocent  child  was  gratified  ;  they  all  knelt  down  at  the 
couch  of  the  Queen,  and  prayed  :  "And  I  felt  relieved,"  says  Madame 
Mina,  in  her  narrative  of  this  eventful  night,  "  I  felt  relieved  by  the 
tears  which  I  shed  on  contemplating  the  situation  of  those  two  innocent 
beings,  who,  full  of  fervor,  directed  their  supplications  to  Heaven  to  pro 
tect  and  deliver  them  from  a  peril,  the  extent  of  which  no  one  knew 
so  well  as  I."  The  clamor  of  the  attack  subsided,  the  firing  became  less 
frequent.  The  attendants  now  spread  mattresses  for  the  Queen  and  her 
sister  in  a  corner  of  the  apartment  where  they  would  be  safe  from  any 
random  shot  ;  and  the  poor  little  beings,  exhausted  by  the  agitation  and 
fatigue  they  had  suffered,  at  length  fell  asleep. 

The  gallant  defense  of  the  handful  of  halberdiers  effectually  defeated 
this  atrocious  attempt.  They  kept  the  assailants  at  bay  until  assistance 
arrived.  The  alarm  spread  through  Madrid.  The  regular  troops  and 
national  gxiards  assembled  from  all  quarters  ;  Espartero  hastened  to  the 
scene  of  action,  and  the  palace  was  completely  surrounded.  Concha  and 
Leon,  seeing  the  case  was  desperate,  left  their  followers  in  the  lurch,  and 
consulted  their  own  safety  in  flight.  They  spurred  their  horses  to  the 
open  country  ;  but  Concha,  being  in  ordinary  dress,  returned  unobserved, 
concealed  himself  in  Madrid,  and  ultimately  escaped  out  of  the  kingdom. 
The  heedless  Leon,  being  in  full  general's  uniform,  was  a  marked  object. 
He  was  discovered  and  arrested  at  some  distance  from  Madrid,  and, 
though  great  interest  was  made  in  his  favor,  was  ultimately  shot 

The  result  of  this  brutal  attempt  has  been  to  throw  complete  odium  on 
the  course  of  Maria  Christina,  to  confound  the  enemies  of  the  constitu 
tion,  and  to  strengthen  the  hands  of  Government.  The  insurrection  in 
the  provinces  was  speedily  put  down.  Maria  Christina  hastened  to  dis 
avow  all  share  in  the  conspiracy:  but  proofs  are  too  strong  against  her, 
and  the  French  government  stands  chargeable  with  at  least  connivance. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  387 

The  stand  which  England  has  taken,  of  late,  in  the  matter,  and  the  decla 
ration  of  ministers  in  Parliament  that  they  would  not  quietly  permit  the 
hostile  interference  of  any  foreign  power  in  the  affairs  of  Spain,  has  had 
a  happy  effect  in  checking  the  machinations  of  France.  Spain  now  en 
joys  a  breathing  spell,  and,  I  hope,  may  be  enabled  to  regulate  her  inter 
nal  affairs,  and  recover  from  the  exhausting  effects  of  her  civil  wars. 
The  little  Queen  is  now  nearly  twelve  years  of  age  ;  in  about  two  years 
more  her  minority  will  terminate,  and,  with  it,  the  regency  of  Espartero. 
I  hope,  while  the  power  still  remains  in  his  hands,  he  may  be  enabled  to 
carry  out  his  proposed  plans  of  reform,  and  to  confirm  the  constitutional 
government,  so  that  it  may  not  easily  be  shaken 

The  foregoing  sketch  will,  I  trust,  enable  you  to  form  an  idea  of  the 
position  of  Spanish  affairs,  and  to  take  an  interest  in  any  particTilars 
about  this  Court  which  I  may  hereafter  have  to  relate.  You  will  under 
stand  that  Spain  is  now  a  constitutional  monarchy,  having  its  Cortes,  or 
representative  bodies  of  legislature,  consisting  of  a  senate  and  chamber  of 
deputies  ;  and  that,  until  the  Queen  is  fourteen  years  of  age,  Espartero 
(Duke  of  Victoria)  holds  the  reigns  of  government  as  Regent,  in  her 
name.  He  is  a  soldier  of  fortune,  who  has  risen  by  his  merits  and  his 
services,  and  been  placed  in  his  present  elevated  situation  by  the  votes  of 
the  Cortes.  .... 

You  will  now  understand  something  of  the  jealousy  and  ill-will  that 
exists  between  this  country  and  France,  and  of  the  failure  of  the  em 
bassy  of  Mr.  Salvandy,  which  made  so  much  noise  last  winter.  However, 
as  the  last  affair  may  have  escaped  your  notice,  and  as  you  and  I  are  now 
embarked  in  diplomacy,  I  will  call  your  attention  to  it. 

After  the  abdication  and  departure  of  Maria  Christina  from  Spain,  the 
French  Government,  by  way  of  slight,  suffered  itself  for  a  time  to  remain 
unrepresented  at  the  Spanish  Court,  excepting  by  a  temporary  charge  d' 
affaires,  whereas  it  has  usually  maintained  a  full  embassy  at  Madrid.  At 
length  Louis  Philippe,  finding  that  he  was  exciting  the  indignation  of  the 
Spanish  people  against  himself,  and  increasing  their  antipathy  to  his 
nation,  determined  to  send  an  ambassador.  Mr.  Salvandy,  a  man  of  con 
spicuous  talents,  accordingly  appeared  at  Madrid  with  a  brilliant  train  ; 


388  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

but  here  a  difficulty  arose  :  his  letter  of  credence  was  addressed  to  the 
Queen,  and  he  was  instructed  to  deliver  it  into  her  hands.  He  demanded 
an  audience  of  her  for  that  purpose.  It  was  objected,  on  the  part  of  the 
Spanish  Government,  that  the  Queen,  being  yet  a  minor,  was  disqualified 
by  the  constitution  from  the  performance  of  any  public  act ;  that  a 
Regent  had  been  appointed,  to  whom,  under  that  constitution,  the  regal 
power  had  been  delegated,  and  who,  in  the  name  and  stead  of  her  Majesty, 
at  his  own  palace,  would  receive  Mr.  Salvandy,  and  from  his  hands  the 
credentials  of  which  he  was  the  bearer.  The  ambassador  refused  to  deliver 
his  letters  at  any  other  place  than  at  the  royal  palace,  or  into  any  other 
hands  than  those  of  the  Queen  herself  ;  though,  he  observed,  the  Regent, 
if  he  thought  proper,  might  be  present  at  the  ceremonial.  The  Spanish 
Government  repeated  its  objections,  and  the  ambassador  wrote  to  Paris 
for  new  instructions.  The  Court  of  France  approved  of  what  he  had 
done,  and  instructed  him  to  persist ;  Louis  Philippe  doubtless  being  dis 
posed  to  pass  a  slight  upon  the  constitutional  government,  and  to  pass  by 
the  Regent  as  not  being  the  actual  head.  The  ambassador  again  de 
manded  an  audience  of  the  Queen,  adding,  that  if  he  were  refused,  he 
should  require  his  passports,  take  down  the  French  arms  from  the  front  of 
the  embassy,  and  withdraw  with  the  whole  embassy  from  the  country.  The 
Spanish  Government  stood  firm  :  the  matter  was  discussed  and  argued  on 
both  sides,  but  the  Spaniards  were  not  to  be  argued  into  the  admission  of 
any  slight  or  indignity  to  the  constitutional  Regent  of  their  own  election. 
Mr.  Salvandy,  after  several  days  of  fruitless  discussion,  at  length  de 
manded  passports  for  the  embassy,  which  were  immediately  granted,  and 
he  left  Madrid  with  his  retinue  the  same  night.  He  moderated  so  much 
of  his  diplomatic  threat,  however,  as  to  leave  the  escutcheon  of  the  French 
arms  standing  over  the  gate  of  the  embassy,  and  his  second  secretary,  as 
chargt  d  'affaires,  to  take  temporary  care  of  the  affairs  of  the  mission  ; 
otherwise  a  complete  departure  would  have  been  tantamount  to  a  rupture 
between  the  two  nations. 

You  will  now  understand  why  some  little  importance  was  given  to  my 
arrival  as  Minister  at  this  court.     There  was  a  curiosity  to  know  how  1 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING  389 

would  act  with  respect  to  the  delivery  of  my  credentials.  My  written 
instructions  were  to  present  the  President's  letter  of  credence  to  the  Queen; 
but  from  conversations  with  the  government  at  Washington  before  my 
departure,  I  understood  that  I  might  regulate  my  conduct  by  circum 
stances.  As  it  is  a  principle  with  us,  therefore,  to  deal  always  in  our 
diplomacy  with  the  actual  government  of  a  country,  I  made  no  hesitation 
in  delivering  my  letter  into  the  hands  of  Espartero,  at  an  audience  given 
at  his  palace,  specifying  in  my  address  that  it  was  from  the  President  to 
the  Queen,  and  delivered  into  his  hands  as  Regent  of  the  kingdom.  You 
have  no  doubt  seen  the  bad  translation  of  my  address,  as  the  government 
was  careful  to  obtain  from  me  a  copy  of  it  for  publication,  as  it  was  the 
first  time  a  foreign  Minister  had  presented  his  credentials  since  the 
regency  of  Espartero.  It  was  considered  also  as  a  precedent  ;  and, 
indeed,  the  resident  Minister  of  Brazil,  who  presented  his  credentials  at 
the  same  time,  but  after  me,  and  who  is  rather  opposed  to  the  present  form 
of  government,  told  me  he  should  not  have  presented  his  letter  of  credence 
to  Espartero,  unless  I  had  broken  the  way  and  set  the  example.  Whether 
France  will  get  over  her  pique,  and  make  a  step  toward  reconciliation 
with  Spain,  by  sending  a  full  mission,  and  authorizing  her  representative 
to  acknowledge  Espartero  as  the  legitimate  head  of  the  government,  by 
delivering  the  letter  of  credentials  into  his  hand,  is  yet  to  be  seen.  The 
conduct  of  France  toward  Spain,  of  late  years,  has  been  anything  but 
fair  and  magnanimous  ;  and  Louis  Philippe,  in  manifesting  such  hostil 
ity  to  the  constitutional  forms  of  the  government,  and  such  a  disposition 
to  discountenance  Espartero,  the  constitutional  depositary  of  the  regal 
power,  seems  singularly  to  have  forgotten  the  history  of  his  own  6i.eva- 
tion. 

And  now,  having  discussed  these  royal  and  diplomatic  themes,  I  find  it 
impossible,  my  dear  sister,  to  descend  to  subjects  of  ordinary  import,  so 
shall  conclude,  for  the  present,  with  a  promise  of  giving  you  some  further 
anecdotes  of  courts,  kings,  and  queens  in  my  future  letters,  finding  these 
matters  are  so  much  to  your  taste.  I  would  observe,  however,  that  as  this 
letter  is  really  meant  merely  for  your  private  amusement,  I  do  not  wish  it 


390  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

to  be  shown  about  ;  a  Minister  ought  not  to  be  gossiping  about  diplomatic 
affairs.     Keep  it,  therefore,  strictly  among  yourselves  in  the  family. 
And  so  God  bless  you, 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

Three  days  after  the  date  of  the  preceding  epistle, 
alluding  to  his  anxiety  to  pass  as  much  as  possible  of  the 
evening  of  his  days  at  Sunnyside,  he  writes : — 

It  seems  to  me  as  if  I  did  not  half  enough  appreciate  that  home  when  I 
was  there,  and  yet  I  certainly  delighted  in  it  ;  but  the  longer  I  am  away, 
the  more  the  charm  of  distance  gathers  round  it,  until  it  begins  to  be  all 
romance.  I  sometimes  catch  myself  calculating  the  dwindling  space  of 
life  that's  left  to  me,  and  almost  repining  that  so  much  of  the  best  of  it 
must  be  passed  far  away  from  all  that  I  hold  most  dear  and  delightful  ; 
but  I  check  such  thoughts,  and  recollect  how  much  there  is  round  me  to 
interest  and  exercise  my  mind 

The  following  letter  to  a  juvenile  niece,  the  youngest 
daughter  of  his  brother  Ebenezer,  and  one  of  the  inmates 
of  Sunnyside,  announces  his  change  of  habitation  at 
Madrid,  and  gives  a  picture  of  his  new  abode.  The  letter 
opens,  it  will  be  perceived,  in  quite  a  sportive  vein : 


[To  Miss  Charlotte  Irving. ~\ 

MADRID,  Sept.  16,  1842. 
MY  DEAR  CHARLOTTE  : —  . 

Your  letter  of  July  28th  reached  me  three  or  four  days  since,  and 
brought  me  a  world  of  intelligence.    First  of  all,  your  first  appearance 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  391 

at  the  Tarrytown  and  Dobbs'  Ferry  soirees,  held  that  evening  at  Mrs. 
Sheldon's,  at  which,  I  trust,  you  produced  a  proper  sensation.  Then  the 
invasion  of  Sunnyside,  by  sea,  by  a  roving  piragua,  fitted  out  at  the  port 
of  Yonkers,  and  manned  by  Edgar  and  a  desperate  crew  of  ladies  and 

gentlemen.     Then  the  invasion  by  land,  by  Mrs. and  Mrs. 'a 

mother,  and  Mrs.  's  sister  and  Mr.   's  mother — no,   Mr. 

's  aunt,  and  a  Miss  P.,  who  was  staying  with  Mrs. .     And 

then  the  influx  of  all  the s  and  of  all  the  Dr. s.     And  then 

a  second  invasion  by  sea,  of  all  the  Hamiltons  in  the  Dream,  and  the 
carrying  off  of  half  the  garrison  of  Sunnyside  to  Eockland  Lake  and 

the  mountains ;  and  then  the  great  party  at  Mr. 's,  given  to  Mr. 

and  Mrs. ,  to  which  Mrs. did  not  think  herself  invited,  but 

to  which  she  afterward  found  she  was  invited,  and  which  turned  out  a 
most  delightful  party.  Guide  us  and  keep  us!  what  an  eventful  period  of 
history  we  live  in !  Why,  my  dear  Charlie,  if  matters  go  on  at  this  rate, 
I  shall  find  Sleepy  Hollow  wide  awake  by  the  time  I  come  back. 

And  now,  my  exceeding  good  and  very  dear  little  woman,  I  will  try  to 
give  you,  in  return  for  your  very  agreeable  letter,  some  little  inkling  of 
my  Spanish  home  and  its  affairs.  I  have  just  changed  my  residence,  and 
have  taken  the  principal  apartment  in  a  great  Spanish  house  belonging  to 
a  bachelor  nobleman  named  the  Marquis  de  Mos,  who  has  a  bachelor's 
nest  in  one  wing  of  it.  I  have  such  a  range  of  salons,  that  it  gives  me 
quite  an  appetite  to  walk  from  my  study  to  the  dining-room.  Then  the 
windows  of  the  salons  all  face  the  south,  and  look  into  a  little  dilapidated 
garden,  in  the  centre  of  which  is  an  old,  half-ruined  marble  fountain, 
with  gold-fish  swimming  about  in  it,  and  a  superannuated  triton  in  the 
middle,  blowing  a  conch-shell,  out  of  which,  in  his  younger  days,  there 
no  doubt  rose  a  jet  of  water.  My  own  private  apartment,  consisting  of  a 
bedroom  and  study,  is  in  one  end  of  the  building.  My  bedroom  formerly 
served  as  an  oratory  or  chapel  to  the  mansion.  It  is  a  small  octagon 
room,  rising  to  a  little  cupola  or  dome,  with  little  windows  in  the  top, 
about  fifteen  feet  from  the  floor,  by  which  the  chamber  is  lighted.  These 
windows  catch  the  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun,  and  as  the  oratory  is  pret 
tily  painted  of  a  delicate  pink,  yellow,  and  pale  green,  and  as  the  centre 


392  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

of  the  dome  is  gilded,  the  whole  becomes  beautifully  lighted  up.  You 
have  no  idea  what  a  splendid  waking  up  I  have  sometimes  in  the  morn 
ing.  I  don't  think  "  glorious  Apollo,"  with  his  bed-chamber  of  sun-gilt 
clouds,  has  much  the  advantage  of  me My  study  is  immedi 
ately  adjacent  to  the  oratory;  one  window  overlooks  the  garden  of  an  old 
convent,  and  has  a  fine  view  of  the  Regent's  palace,  and  the  distant 
groves  of  the  Retire. 

I  have  experienced  a  kind  of  home  feeling  of  enjoyment  since  I  have 
got  into  this  house,  that  I  have  not  felt  before  since  my  arrival  in  Madrid. 
My  other  residence  was  excessively  noisy,  and  abounded  with  inconven 
iences,  so  that  I  could  never  feel  at  home  in  it ;  indeed,  the  very  idea  that 
1  sKould  remove  as  soon  as  I  could  find  a  house  more  to  my  mind,  kept 
me  unsettled  and  comfortless.  Now,  I  trust,  I  am  fixed  for  the  whole  of 
my  sojourn  in  Madrid ;  and  I  consider  myself  singularly  fortunate  in 
finding  in  this  uncomfortable  metropolis  so  pleasant  an  abode. 
• 

The  subjoined  letter  was  written  soon  after  the  happy- 
adjustment  of  the  long-standing  dispute  between  Great 
Britain  and  the  United  States  respecting  the  North 
eastern  boundary.  The  lady  to  whom  it  is  addressed 
was  a  daughter  of  his  deceased  brother  William,  and 
was  occupying  the  former  homestead  of  Abijah  Ham 
mond,  at  Throgg's  Neck,  on  the  East  Eiver,  a  country 
retreat  about  fourteen  miles  from  the  city  of  New  York, 
of  which  Washington  remarks  :  "  I  recollect  the  place 
well,  having  visited  it  occasionally  in  my  frolicking  and 
dancing  days,  when  it  was  the  seat  of  great  hospitality. 
One  of  the  pleasantest  balls  I  ever  attended  was  in  that 
mansion,  at  which  divers  respectable  old  ladies  of  the 
present  day  sparkled  as  belles." 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  393 

[To  Mrs.  Moses  H.  Grinnell.] 

MADRID,  September  30, 1842. 
MY  DEAR  JULIA  : — 

I  have  just  received  your  delightful  letter  of  August  25th,  which  was 
indeed  most  welcome.  I  wrote  to  you  not  long  since,  in  hopes  of  drawing 
from  you  a  letter  in  return,  but  you  have  kindly  anticipated  me.  I  can 
easily  imagine  your  satisfaction  with  your  country  residence :  I  know  the 
old  mansion  well,  and  the  delightful  country  in  which  it  is  situated,  with 
its  splendid  advantages  of  water.  1  should  think  it  would  just  hit  Mr. 
GrmneH's  fancy,  and  hope  he  may  find  loose  spending-money  enough  in 
his  pocket  to  buy  it.  ... 

I  am  delighted  with  the  treaty  ;  it  has  been  negotiated  in  a  fine  spirit 
on  both  sides,  and  is  a  great  achievement  for  Mr.  Webster.  He  has  re 
mained  in  the  Cabinet  to  some  purpose,  and  now,  if  he  thinks  proper, 
may  retire  with  flying  colors  ;  yet  I  should  be  loath  to  see  such  a  states 
man  retire  from  the  management  of  our  affairs.  What  successor  will 
give  us  such  state  papers  ?  Who  would  have  managed  our  Mexican  cor 
respondence  in  such  style  ?  Would  to  God  he  could  remain  in  with  satis 
faction  to  himself,  and  have  a  good  majority  in  Congress  to  back  him. 

I  have  just  got  myself  settled  in  a  pleasant  habitation,  which,  I  think, 
will  be  my  home  during  my  residence  in  Madrid.  It  is  spacious,  as  all 
Spanish  houses  are,  but  quiet  and  clean,  which  are  rare  qualities  in  Mad 
rid  mansions.  I  have  just  given  my  first  dinner  ;  not  such  feasts  as  you 
give  in  New  York,  one  of  which  would  exhaust  a  Madrid  market,  but  in 
a  pretty  French  style,  and  to  a  small  party  ;  never,  if  I  can  help  it,  in 
tending  to  exceed  the  limits  of  a  social  round  table.  I  have  indeed,  to 

play  the  ambassador  on  a  cautious  scale Fortunately,  there 

is  no  rivalry  in  expense  in  the  diplomatic  corps  at  Madrid,  the  British 
Minister  being  the  only  one  that  entertains,  and  his  immense  fortune 
putting  competition  out  of  the  question. 

I  have  had  some  brooding  spells  of  homesickness  since  my  arrival  in 
Europe,  but  they  are  gradually  wearing  away,  and  I  am  now  about  tc 


394  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 

enter  upon  a  career  of  literary  occupation  that  will  effectually  dispel 

them 

Mr.  Grinnell,  in  his  appendix  to  your  letter,  says  that  Mr.  Webster 
inquired  particularly  after  me,  and  expressed  much  interest  in  my 
mission.  As  yet  my  mission  has  called  for  but  little  exertion  of  diplo 
matic  skill,  there  being  no  question  of  moment  between  the  governments, 
and  I  not  being  disposed  to  make  much  smoke  where  there  is  but  little 

fuel I  have  been  very  quiet  ever  since  my  arrival  in  Madrid, 

getting  my  domestic  affairs  in  order,  and  making  myself  acquainted  with 
the  complicated  and  entangled  state  of  Spanish  politics  ;  but  I  shall  now 
gradually  take  my  stand  in  the  diplomatic  circles,  and  endeavor  that  it 
shall  be  an  unobtrusive,  but  a  firm  one 

It  was  not  long  after  the  date  of  this  letter,  that  Mr. 
Irving  addressed  his  fifth  diplomatic  despatch  to  the 
Honorable  Secretary  of  State,  presenting  a  sketch  of  the 
political  affairs  of  Spain,  which  were  just  then  rising  to 
fever  heat,  as  the  time  for  the  opening  of  the  Cortes  was 
approaching,  and  powerful  preparations  were  making  to 
displace  the  existing  Cabinet.  Mr.  Webster  used  to 
speak  in  high  terms  of  the  interest  of  these  papers,  and 
once  remarked  to  a  friend,  that  he  always  laid  aside  every 
other  correspondence  to  read  a  diplomatic  despatch  from 
Mr.  Irving. 

The  following  half-melancholy  letter  to  his  old  com 
panion  at  Madrid,  Prince  Demetri  Ivanovitch  Dolgorouki, 
now  Eussian  Minister  at  Naples,  was  written  when  his 
young  housemates,  Hamilton,  Brevoort,  and  Ames,  were 
absent  on  a  tour  in  Andalusia,  to  be  gone  four  or  five 
weeks,  and  he  was  living  "in  solitary  dignity,  pacing 


OF  WASHINGTON  IEVING.  395 

(his)  great  empty  saloons  to  the  echoes  of  his  own  foot 
steps." 

MADRID,  October  18, 1842. 
MY  DEAR  DOLGOROUKI  : — 

You  certainly  are  one  of  the '  most  faithful,  long-suffering,  and  indul 
gent  of  friends,  still  to  write  to  me,  notwithstanding  my  neglect  to 
answer  your  previous  letters.  But  I  am  reforming  as  a  correspondent, 
and  henceforth,  I  trust,  you  will  find  me  more  punctual  in  my  replies. 
In  fact,  I  had  grown  quite  indolent  and  self-indulgent  in  my  happy  little 
retreat  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  and  needed  something  to  rouse  me 
into  action.  This  most  unlooked-for  appointment  to  the  Legation  at 
Madrid  has  completely  drawn  me  out  of  the  oblivious  influence  of  Sleepy 
Hollow,  and  thrown  me  once  more  into  the  midst  of  the  busy  world  and 
its  concerns. 

And  here  I  am,  on  our  old  campaigning  ground,  wbere  we  first  became 
acquainted  ;  but  either  I  am  or  the  place  is  greatly  changed,  for  we  seem 
to  be  quite  strange  to  each  other.  I  miss  all  my  former  intimates. 
Navarrete,  grown  old  and  infirm,  has  been  absent  from  Madrid  ever 
since  my  arrival.  I  look  with  an  eye  of  wistful  recollection  at  the  house 
once  inhabited  by  the  D'Oubrils,  which  was  my  familiar  and  favorite 
resort.  It  is  undergoing  great  repairs  and  alterations,  to  become  the  resi 
dence  of  some  millionaire  who  has  made  a  fortune  by  speculation.  How 
often  I  recall  the  happy,  happy  hours  I  have  passed  there,  and  summon 
up  the  recollections  of  that  most  amiable  and  interesting  family  I  Years 
have  passed  without  my  learning  anything  concerning  them.  Can  you 
give  me  any  information?  I  understand  Mr.  D'Oubril  is  Minister  at 
Frankfort  ;  the  children  of  course  are  all  grown  up,  some,  perhaps, 
.married.  When  I  was  recently  in  Paris,  I  heard  from  an  American  gen- 
'Jeman  that  he  had  been  acquainted  with  Mademoiselle  Bolviller,  who, 
with  her  mother,  was  at  Florence.  Have  you  seen  her  lately  ?  —  and 
how  is  she  ? 

My  return  to  Europe,  after  such  a  long  absence,  is  full  of  half-melan 
choly  recollections  and  associations.  I  am  continually  retracing  the  scenes 


396  LIFE  AND   LETTERS 

of  past  pleasures  and  friendships,  and  finding  them  vacant  and  desolate. 
I  seem  to  come  upon  the  very  footprints  of  those  with  whom  I  have  as 
sociated  so  pleasantly  and  kindly,  but  they  only  serve  to  remind  me  that 
those  who  made  those  footprints  have  passed  away. 

What  would  I  not  give  to  have  that  house  of  the  D'Oubrils  once  more 
inhabited  by  its  former  tenants,  just  as  they  were  when  I  was  here  in 
182G.  1  long  for  such  a  resort ;  1  long  for  such  beings  in  whom  I  car, 
Cake  interest  and  feel  delight.  Madrid  is  barren,  barren,  barren  to  me 
of  social  intimacies.  The  civil  wars,  the  political  feuds  and  jealousies, 
seem  to  have  cut  up  society,  and  rendered  the  Spaniards  unsocial  except 
in  their  own  peculiar  tertullias  and  cliques.  Besides,  I  am  not  one  to 
forage  at  large  in  general  society ;  my  intimacies  are  generally  few  and 
cherished. 

I  can  give  you  but  little  intelligence  of  the  gay  world  that  used  to  as 
semble  at  the  soirees  of  Madame  D'Oubril.  If  you  may  remember,  I 
mingled  generally  as  a  mere  spectator,  and  seldom  took  sufficient  interest 
in  individuals  to  bear  them  in  distinct  recollection.  When  I  have  done 
so,  I  do  not  find  the  recollection  productive  of  present  satisfaction.  Time 
dispels  charms  and  illusions.  You  remember  how  much  I  was  struck  with 
a  beautiful  young  woman  (I  will  not  mention  names)  who  appeared  in  a 
tableau  as  Murillo's  Virgin  of  the  Assumption  ?  She  was  young,  recently 
married,  fresh  and  unhackneyed  in  society,  and  my  imagination  decked 
her  out  with  everything  that  was  pure,  lovely,  innocent,  and  angelic  in 
womanhood.  She  was  pointed  out  to  me  at  the  theatre,  shortly  after  my 
recent  arrival  in  Madrid.  I  turned  with  eagerness  to  the  original  of  the 
picture  that  had  ever  remained  hung  up  in  sanctity  in  my  mind.  1  found 
her  still  handsome,  though  somewhat  matronly  in  appearance,  seated,  with 
her  daughters,  in  the  box  of  a  fashionable  nobleman,  younger  than  herself, 
rich  in  purse  but  poor  in  intellect,  and  who  was  openly  and  notoriously 
her  cavalier  servente.  The  charm  was  broken,  the  picture  fell  from  the 
wall.  She  may  have  the  customs  of  a  depraved  country  and  licentious 
state  of  society  to  excuse  her  ;  but  I  can  never  think  of  her  again  in  the 
halo  of  feminine  purity  and  loveliness  that  surrounded  the  Virgin  oJ 
Murillo. 


OF  WASHINGTON  IRVING.  397 

And  so  you  have  got  my  fellow  traveller  of  the  American  wilds,  and 
buffalo  hunter  of  the  prairies,  Count  Pourtales,  in  your  neighborhood. 
When  next  you  see  him,  remember  me  to  him  most  cordially.  Many, 
many  pleasant  scenes  have  we  had  together.  He  was  full  of  talent,  and 
had  wonderful  aptness  at  anything  he  turned  to,  but  he  seemed  careless 
of  turning  his  talent  to  account. 

And  now,  my  dear  Dolgorouki,  let  me  hear  from  you  again,  and  before 
long.     1  envy  you  your  beautiful  residence  at  Naples,  which  is  one  of 
the  lovely  spots  of  earth  that  must  unquestionably  have  dropped  from  the 
sky.    Would  that  1  could  exchange  for  it  the  sterile  vicinity  of  Madrid. 
Believe  me  ever  yours  most  truly, 

WASHINGTON  IEVING. 


HOT)  OF  TOLTOIK  IL 


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